Hyphen
by Dermonster
Summary: After evading capture on Hoenn route 102, an inquisitive Ralts picks up a discarded pokeball. Curiosity is a dangerous beast indeed, and infiltrating the human world is no less risky. But for the sake of her home she will do whatever it takes to rise above the stars.
1. Beginning

A Ralts poked her head out of a bush and observed the trail ahead of her. The sun shone down from above, the leaves casting dappled shadows across the rough hewn dirt. In the distance she spotted the pack of Poochyena who had taken to resting in the road. The black and grey furred wolves sniffed at the air, shining red eyes peering at the woods around them. The Ralts crouched low, and willed them to look elsewhere; the prize she sought was so close, but the hounds would sooner make her their dinner than let her pass unhindered.

Suddenly, a zigzagoon shot out from a bush further down. It was clearly frightened, and every inch of its alternating light and dark brown hair was standing on end. As one the pack of Poochyena turned upon the smaller dog and growled.

The Zigzagoon yelped and ran away, dashing through bushes and branches alike in its panic with the pack of Poochyena hot on its heels.

The Ralts breathed a sigh of relief and extricated herself from the bush. Peering into a nearby puddle, she picked off excess twigs that had gotten stuck in her hair. The image within the pool was a familiar sight; a bowl of forest green hair encircling her head and partially obscuring her eyes, her snow white coat extending into a billowing dress-like cloak that covered her nubby legs from view. Atop her head rested two shining red half-ovoid horns; the larger protruding from the middle of her forehead and the smaller from the back of her head directly opposite.

Plucking the last errant leaf, the Ralts smiled at her reflection. Examining the road once more, she confirmed it was all but deserted; the only things here were the occasional acorn-mimicking Seedot hanging from the trees. Dashing across the hard packed dirt, the Ralts stopped before an oran berry bush. Quickly unfurling a large leaf she had procured, she began picking the delicious blue fruits with practiced speed.

There were much less dangerous bushes to harvest closer to home, the Ralts mused, but only the ones located on the human trails were so large and rich. They could be made into so many delicious meals; eaten raw, cooked into soup, drained and eaten dry- the possibilities were endless! So absorbed in her voracious errand, the Ralts didn't hear the approaching footsteps until a voice cut straight through her thoughts.

"Oh! There's one right in the middle of the road!"

The ralts froze, wide eyes turning to see a nightmare made manifest. Two humans stood a mere dozen feet away, staring directly at her.

"R-ralts…?" she stuttered, losing control of her voice in the face of terror.

"Huh. So there is. Never seen this kind before though..." The girl in the red bandanna nudged the boy with green hair forward. "Well? Capture it already."

"R-right!" the boy said, shuffling forward. The Ralts took a step back, tripping over and scattering the berry pile behind her. The green haired boy tossed a red and white ball into the air with a cry, "Go, Zigzagoon!"

The ball cracked open, a thunderous red light emitting from it's confines. It coalesced upon the ground, revealing the form of a Zigzagoon. It yipped, circling around twice before crouching low, growling at her.

Scrambling to her feet, the Ralts turned around and began to run-

"Zigzagoon, use tackle!"

Only to be hit from behind as the Zigzagoon smashed into her full force.

"R-Raa.." she cried out, flying backwards and crashing into a tree. She slid down, terrified and bruised. Looking up she only found the intense stare of the green haired boy and the crouching Zigzagoon in front of him. The boy held out another red and white ball, and the Ralts stared at it with dread.

"I- I throw the ball now, right? Here I go!"

The girl in the red bandanna blinked and reached out, "Wait, it's not injured enough yet-!"

The Ralts watched as the green haired boy threw the ball as if in slow motion. No, no! She didn't want this! This couldn't happen! She _wouldn't let it!_ With a surge of energy, she threw herself to the side just in time, and sprinted into the forest as the ball ricocheted off the tree behind her.

"It's getting away!"

"Damn it, Wally..."

The Ralts sprinted into the woods, and hid behind a tree out of sight. The human's voices were still audible even this deep in, and the Ralts listened with baited breath.

"Did you see where it went?" asked the boy.

"No. Damnit, now we'll have to find something else…"

"I'm sorry… should I go get the ball?"

"Tch, there's too much tall grass around here; it's a lost cause." A sigh. "I have a dozen of the things anyway, it doesn't matter. Let's get going; I think I heard some Poochyena barking from that direction. They're pretty cool, let's get one of those."

"A-Alright…"

The Ralts stood stock still for several minutes after their voices faded, then collapsed against the tree, heart beating madly in her chest. That… that was close. So, she thought tiredly, that's what Humans looked like up close.

Catching her breath, she stood up and ventured back the way she came. A flash of color caught her eye as she walked; jogging over, she found that red and white sphere the boy had thrown at her laying in the grass. She stared at it pensively. So this was a Pokeball…

With a trembling hand, she reached down and poked it, jumping away at the touch. When nothing happened, she poked it again. After nothing continued to happen, she reached down and picked the sphere up.

It was a strange thing. Half red, half white, a thick black line across the middle with only a white button in the center interrupting it. Tentatively, she pushed the button, and the Ralts dropped it like a poisonous barb when it shrunk to a fraction of its size, the sound of rushing wind accompanying it.

After nothing happened a third time, the Ralts picked it back up. How had it gotten so small, she wondered. She pressed the button again and only jumped a little when it expanded back to its original size.

She stared at the sphere, new questions bubbling within her mind. How did this sphere grow and shrink? Why? Who were those people and how did they make this?

Travelling back to the path, she gathered her plucked berries into the makeshift bag. With a moment of hesitation, she buried the pokeball within the blue fruit, hiding it from view.

Picking up the bundle, she scurried across the road once more, and began the trip back home.


	2. Home

South of Route 102, through a vast forest and hidden from any mundane explorations, there was a village. Surrounding the village were wooden palisades; constructed, reinforced, and occasionally replaced over the course of centuries, they stood proudly in defiance against whatever might dare to challenge them.

To the returning Ralts they were a familiar and welcome sight indeed. Closing in on one of the few gates built into the barricades, she waved to a spear wielding Kirlia who was on guard. She frowned at said guards lack of reaction. Why wasn't he waving back or- oh, he was asleep.

Slowing her pace, she snuck up on the snoozing guard. The Ralts observed him critically. All Kirlia looked more or less the same and he was no different: His horns had both lengthened and migrated to the top of his head, perpendicular to each other above both ears; his hair had grown new thick sheets which cascaded from said horns over his ears and to his shoulders while the hair on his face had parted to reveal his closed eyes; his coat had split apart into six wide strips which swayed gently in the breeze, exposing his green legs that tapered down to the tiny nubs that constituted feet. He was currently leaning on his spear, gently snoring.

With a mischievous smile, the Ralts telekinetically picked up a nearby stick and jabbed him in the side. The guard jerked upright and screeched, swinging his spear wildly. He scanned the area frantically, searching for what had hit him before he caught sight of the Ralts, who had doubled over in laughter. He scowled.

"Oh you little brat, I oughta whack you!"

"Oh?" the Ralts said, smiling, "It's not my fault you were sleeping on the job!"

The guard coughed and looked away. "W-Well, it's not like anything happens around here anyway. It's not my fault!"

"Well-" the Ralts drew out, "I guess you wouldn't mind me telling-"

"Now now, Let's not get carried away here!" the Kirla laughed nervously. He paused, turning a cheeky grin on his assaulter. "Then again, I think you might be in more trouble than I am; after all, you're not supposed to be wandering outside the village without an escort. Maybe I should tell your grandfather?"

"You wouldn't" Ralts said, in faux horror. "You'd get scolded for letting me leave!"

"Ah," the guard countered, grinning wolfishly. "I could simply suggest that you climbed the wall. How could I have possibly seen it?"

"Well darn," the Ralts said with practiced ease. "You've got me there. I don't suppose one of _these_ ," she held one of the giant oran berries aloft, wiggling it, "would change your mind?"

Quick as a flash, the berry vanished from her grasp, the Kirlia already taking a bite. "Mmm." he hummed, blue juice dribbling into the grass. "Absence? What absence? Never saw her leave, honest."

The Ralts giggled at the display. "Thanks!"

"Hey, no problem. As long as I get one of these babies, it's all good." he swallowed. "You gotta tell me where you find these things someday; they're so much better than the ones from the garden."

She winked. "It's a secret~"

"Fair enough. Though, you're looking a little scratched up there; anything I need to worry about?"

"Ah, just had a little run in, it's fine."

"A run in? With what, a Poochyena?" He scanned the forest behind her. "It better not have followed you; it might be boring but that doesn't mean I actually want to use this thing." He nodded to his spear meaningfully.

The Ralts scratched her head, laughing nervously. "Ah, not a Poochyena. I'm fine, really."

The Guard peered at her for a moment, then shrugged. "If you say so. Hey, drop a few of those off at the fermenters for me, will you? I bet they'd make a delicious drink."

Ralts made a face. "Ew, no. I'd like to eat these myself, thanks!"

"Tch, how lame. Whatever. Thanks for the berry; see ya later," he said, dismissing her with a solitary wave.

"Goodbye!" she waved back, stepping through the gate. On the other side she was treated to the familiar sight of the village proper. Wooden buildings crafted by generations of families were peppered throughout the massive trees; some alone, some stacked upon each other, and some even residing upon the boughes of the trees connected through sturdy bridges anchored to the thick branches. Firepits lay scattered in open areas, though most lay cold.

The Ralts wandered down the hard packed road, nodding at other passing Kirlia and Ralts as she went. She snuck a look at her leafy bag and frowned at the flash of red hidden therein. What was she supposed to do with this? How could she figure out how it worked? They had been trying to hit her with it, but she couldn't go and hit someone else with it. What to do…

She glanced to the side as singing became audible, spotting a cluster of newly hatched Ralts surrounding an older Kirlia. Oh, they were learning that old song. She listened with half an ear as she passed them by.

 _"-rust, rock and rime, were punished for their crime; rust rock and rime, locked below for all of time~"_ the Kirlia sang, the newborns following in offkey asynchronicity.

The Kirlia clapped, smiling softly. "Well done! One more time, all together now. _Once on a mountain top way up high, there lived a giant with seven eyes wide-"_

It was kind of a morbid song, the Ralts mused. She wondered who made it; were they describing an event, or was it just a fanciful story? She had asked once when she was younger, but the storyteller had only told her it had been passed down. She distinctly remembered the odd, pinched expression the Kirlia wore she asked her to elaborate.

"It was from someone who left," was the only answer she received.

The smell of roasting Magikarp broke her out of her thoughts. Just ahead of her, she spotted several Ralts and a Kirlia standing very still alongside the river that ran through the village, a large fire burning merrily a short distance from the shore. Each of them held a metal tipped spear and gazed into the waters with a tangible intensity.

She spotted a flash of orange before one of the Ralts slammed their spear into the depths. The waters churned for a moment before he raised the spear up in victory, a writhing Magikarp impaled upon the end. Clamoring out of the bank, the lucky Ralts merrily began preparing the fish for the fire.

The Ralts spotted several Magikarp already roasting on the firepit. The smelled so good… ah, if only she wasn't carrying so many berries. She would have to catch one for herself later. Tearing her eyes away, she walked across the river's bridge and continued on.

Just a short while later, she turned off the main path onto a side trail. Soon enough the Ralts came across a steep grassy hill with a thick layer of vines hanging over a large opening into the rock. Pushing the vines apart, the Ralts smiled as she felt the constant breeze that flowed into the hollow, and stepped forth into the small cave system she called home.

Resin candles were scattered across the main cavern, revealing the richly painted walls depicting the night sky. Tables and chairs made of smoothly carved stone lined the edges, covered in varied tools and clay pots. Alcoves in the walls were stuffed with keepsakes; small figurines of objects or animals carved out of stone and wood, intricately woven fiber tapestries dyed in myriad colors, ancient spears that still gleamed in the firelight and countless other trinkets. In the center of the room was an ignited fire pit, the smoke lazily curling to a shaft carved into the ceiling long ago. A pot was situated on a platform above the fire, water coming to a boil within.

Spotting movement from the side, the Ralts made to go forward, but hesitated when her eye caught the red gleam from her bag. Maybe it wasn't a good idea to carry around proof that she had been out of bounds. She'd just have to ask about it subtly. Removing the sphere, she hid it behind a few clay jars on a nearby table.

"Grandpa!" she called, "I'm back!"

Rounding the corner, the Ralt's grandfather came into view. A Kirlia edging into his fading years, his green hair had faded into a much paler hue and wrinkles decorated his coat and face, though his eyes were as sharp as ever. He stood on top of a stool, a palette and brush held in his hands. Behind him was his current work: a grand depiction of the night sky, full of stars and swirls in myriad colors. His face brightened when she came into view. He stepped down, leaving his tools on a table.

"Welcome back. Did you get the berries?" he asked.

The Ralts held up her haul with a grin. "The best I could find!"

Her Grandfathers eyes sparkled as he inspected them. "Oh, well done! There are simply magnificent. I must say, your diligence is quite inspiring; I could spend an entire day in the gardens and not find half as many of this quality."

The Ralts rubbed her head. "It's no big deal!" she said, blushing. "Are we really making jam today?"

"Indeed," he said, bringing the berries over to a different table where numerous bowls and jars lay waiting.

"Aw," the Ralts drooped. "That takes too long. Can't we just roast them?"

"Now now," he chided. "Let's not be impatient. It is important to make preserved food even this early in the season. Poor yields could strike at any moment, after all, not to mention the winter. Besides, you love jam." Her grandfather paused, frowning. Reaching out, he began examining his granddaughter closely, turning her head this way and that much to her confusion. "Did you have any trouble in the field? You look a little battered."

"Ah," the Ralts grinned nervously. "I tripped down a hill. It's nothing, really."

"You should be more careful," he admonished, "Still, I am glad you are only a little scuffed. Now, would you like to help me crush the berries?"

"Sure!"

With a thought, her Grandfather levitated a few bowls and jars off their shelves. Sitting down, the elderly Kirlia spread the oran into a small pile.

"Now," he began, "recently you managed to fully crush the berry, so I would like you to try to work on your control by reducing the splatter." Levitating one of the berries, he demonstrated; a sphere of psychic power forming and twisting around the fruit until it was naught more than mush. "Do you see how I fully enclose the fruit in a shell? Try to copy how I did it."

"Mm!" She took a berry of her own, and concentrated. A flickering shell surrounded it, and it began to shrink. Grinning, she squeezed down. The shell and berry both promptly exploded, showering the area with pulp. The Ralts shrieked in surprise, scrubbing the sticky fluid off her face.

"A bit too much force, I think." her grandfather chuckled, setting down a small mass of berry remnants. "Ah, you've got juice all over your face. Hold still for a moment." He said, kneeling down and wiping his granddaughters face with a cloth.

The Ralts stood there, face scrunched up as he patted the juice away. "Sorry…" she mumbled.

"Oh, it's no worry, my dear. Everyone makes mistakes, especially when they are learning." He put the cloth down and patted her on the head. "Why, I'd say that making mistakes is the foundation of learning."

"Eh?" she blinked at him. "Why? Wouldn't it be better if everyone got it right on the first try?"

"Perhaps in some respects, but never making a mistake leaves one sorely unprepared for when you or someone else _does_. Set yourself too rigidly to a process and you might find yourself breaking when it fails."

"It's still embarrassing." she grumbled. "You do it so effortlessly, and all I can do is make a mess."

"Then make a small mess," he said, squeezing another berry into slush. "Then a smaller mess, and an even smaller mess, and eventually there will be no mess at all. That is the secret to progress."

"Hmm." she frowned starting at the berry pile. Sitting up, she reached out for another. She she had used too much force last time; if she just held onto it tighter, then…

Well, it still exploded but this time it only hit the table. She grinned.

Some time later, the oran berries had all vanished, transformed into an indiscriminate blue slurry. The Ralts wiped a stray globule of fruit off her hair; while she hadn't yet perfected the art, there were fewer eruptions compared to last time.

Humming and kicking the air idly, the Ralts watched her Grandfather transform the berry pulp into jam. It wasn't very interesting, and her thoughts wandered to and fro until she remembered the little red ball hidden near the door. She bit her lip anxiously. Question after question crossed through her mind, tempered only by the looming threat of discovery. If her grandpa found out she was out of bounds… but, there was no other way to know. If she didn't do it now, when would she? Now or never..

"Hey Grandpa?" she called, "do you know anything about humans?"

Her grandfather looked up, bafflement writ across his face. "Humans?" he repeated, "Well, I suppose I do, but why the sudden interest?"

"Ah, one of the Kirlia in the garden was talking about them," she said, "They said that they, uh… went wandering around outside and saw one from a distance?"

Her grandfathers eyes widened. "Oh dear, have the protections faded that quickly? To think they've gotten so close… Hm. I'll have to talk to the other elders about this." He set down the jar, lost in thought. He blinked after a moment, turning back to his granddaughter. "Well, I suppose a quick lesson would be in order. If they are coming closer… yes, it wouldn't do for you to go wholly uninformed."

He hummed for a moment. "Humans… Hunters, explorers, trainers… was there anything in particular you wanted to know about first?"

The Ralts blinked. "What's a trainer?" she asked. The term sounded familiar, but she couldn't place it.

The elderly Kirlia let out a short bark of laughter. "Hah, it seems you haven't been paying attention to many of my lessons, have you? Ah, to be so carefree again." he coughed. "Mmm. Trainers are a specific type of human that wander the wilds searching for creatures to capture."

That seemed to match with what the boy in the forest was doing. "Why do they do that? Is it like hunting?"

He shook his head. "Not quite. While a hunter would prepare his catch for food and material, a trainer would keep his capture alive and take it with them. They use these small red and white spheres called pokeballs to do this. I do not know what becomes of the creatures, but most commonly they are made to fight other pokemon, either in the wild or owned by a different trainer."

"I see…" So if she hadn't dodged, she would be living with that green haired boy right now? Living and fighting on his behalf… a cold feeling crept over her. Gramps wouldn't have known. What would he have done if she had never come back home?

She chewed on her lip and gazed at the ceiling. The celestial artwork above flickered in the firelight. "Why… why would they do all of that?"

"It's a bit of a mystery. When I was young, I often happened to overhear a myriad of conversations humans held on the trails." He tapped his hand on the table absentmindedly. "As far as I can remember, having strong pokemon was a mark of prestige, with the strongest trainer becoming a 'Champion'."

The Ralts tilted her head. "Is that like a king?"

"It might be. Who can say for certain? The title certainly seemed to be said with a sort of reverence. In any case, it is because of trainers that we must hide in our little corner of the world." Reaching out to the side, the pot of water on the fireplace was lifted off its holder and drifted to the table. Two cups joined it in short order, and were soon filled with a steaming brew.

The ralts frowned, gently blowing the heat off. "We have to hide because of the trainers?"

"Oh yes," he said, sipping at his cup. "If they knew we were here, I imagine they would flock here from the very ends of the world to capture us. Our psychic potential would be far too great a temptation to ignore. And so we hide."

"Oh…" She frowned into her cup. That was… she couldn't imagine spending the rest of her life like that; subordinate to a random human and made to fight at their call. "From the ends of the earth?" she muttered, "Like, beyond the ocean and the forest?"

"Mmm. There are humans across the entire continent, and even further beyond. I'd imagine the trainers would travel to all sorts of places to challenge one another. It hardly concerns us, though."

Oh wow. She'd hardly traveled past the trails; she'd only spent time around the village. Was the world truly that big?

"... what are they like?"

Her grandfather blinked. "Excuse me?"

"What are the humans like? Do they have cities like us? What do they eat?" she asked, staring intensely.

"Er," he said, "Please, little one, slow down a bit. I can't say I rightly know the answers to those questions. I've only been able to overhear a few conversations, and none that detailed." He took another sip of his drink. "They do have settlements like ours; as far as I am aware, there are to to the northeast and one large one to the northwest. But does it truly matter what they are like? We cannot interact with them, or we will be discovered and captured."

The Ralts stared at him, aghast. How could he not even be a little curious? These humans who defined so much of what they could or couldn't do… shouldn't they know more about them?

She wanted to know. She wanted to _see_. The mysterious places beyond the ocean and the forest… What were they like? If her grandfather didn't know, then who else could she possibly ask?

"Mmm." her grandfather grunted, shaking her out of her thoughts. "I ought to gather the elders for a meeting. I think our brief lesson is over, for now. Is that alright?"

"Ah! Yes, I was just getting hungry anyway." she said, hopping off her chair.

"Very well. Ah drat, I forgot about the jam. I will have to finish this later."

"I can just get a magikarp from the river."

He nodded, storing the proto-jam away. "Fair enough. Be back before dark!"

She would try, she promised. She glanced at where she hid the pokeball on her way out. It was safe enough, she decided. She stepped outside, blocking the noon day sun's rays with a hand. The village lay in a familiar sprawl before her.

Familiar, but now it seemed… small.

Striding past the river, the firepit, and the gathering of newly hatched, the Ralts reached the gate in record time, five blazing in her heart. The guardsman from earlier was still here, and blinked at her. "What, are you going out again? That's unusual."

"It's important," she said, walking past him. "I might be out for a bit longer than normal."

"The guard squinted at her. "... Well, okay then, but I better get extra for this. If you're in trouble, you know where the patrols are, right?"

She nodded, passing him by without a second glance. "I'll be fine."

She departed the village, heading ever deeper into the woods. Questions and longing coiled together in her gut, a burning curiosity taking root in her soul. If her grandpa couldn't answer her questions, she would just have to find the answers herself.

There was a human city to the northwest. Maybe there she could find the answers she sought.

* * *

Edited to higher standards on 5/30/2018


	3. Adventure

The Ralts peered up at the sky, shielding her eyes as she did so. The sun hadn't moved very far across the sky and yet she had already left the familiar portions of her home behind. The trees had started to thin out little by little, and the sounds of wildlife were becoming less and less common. She hadn't even heard any Zigzagoon packs, and they were as common as the grass. It was, she decided as she brushed past yet another shrub, slightly unnerving.

Not for the first time, she wondered if this had been a bad idea. Heading directly into a human city where she could be found and captured at any moment… one wrong step, one bad move, and it would all be over. It went against everything she had ever been taught, yet among the anxiety and fear, excitement welled up from deep within; a font of curiosity and wanderlust in equal measure. It was with these that she forged onwards, determined to seek out answers for herself.

Still, all the excitement in the world didn't help with her nerves. What would a human city even look like? A vision of giant log houses came to mind, each with their own garden so you didn't have to go far to get a snack; an enourmous bonfire would light every corner and at least five massive rivers would be trailing around, all wide and shallow yet packed with fish. She crested the hill she had been climbing, daydreams still floating through her mind, when a glint of light from ahead blinded her. Yelping, she rubbed her eyes to get the spots out and squinted at the irritant. She blinked once, twice, and her jaw dropped.

Sprawled in front of her was a landscape full of structures unlike anything she had ever seen. Most were taller than the trees and colored not unlike river pebbles; a collection of muted greys, blues, tans, and reds with brightly colored slanted tops. Spaced regularly along the surfaces of many of them, she saw... mirrors? The light of the sun glinted off of them and into her eyes. Ralts blinked. The only mirror she had ever encountered was a small, cracked thing owned by a berry picker who had found it half buried in the forest. It had been strange, akin to looking into a fractured pond.

Among the buildings were humans. Overcome with a sudden bout of paranoia, the Ralts squeaked and dropped to the ground, peeking above the grass after a moment. Not spotting any alerted bands of hunters or trainers bearing down at her, she felt rather embarrassed. She peered at the little dots of life visible around the buildings. The number of people and the size of the city was amazing. The concentration of beings outnumbered her home fivefold, yet there was so much space it felt a little empty. They moved to and fro, heading about their day with nary a bumped elbow.

A hint of movement caught her eye. To her left, she could see a large amount of humans scattered around the forest edge. What were they…? In the distance, she saw a tree fall to the ground, cut from its roots at the base and leaving a stump behind. Many such stumps were littering the field behind them. They were cutting down the forest? Why?

Across from the field of felled trees she could spot an increasing number of squat structures, some of which seemed to be unfinished. The Ralts felt uneasy at the sight. Was the city… growing?

She had to get a closer look. To her right she spotted a patchwork line of large bushes and trees that lead down, with only a few open spaces between. Backtracking a little, she circled around and made it to the line with no trouble, darting down the hill in the foliage's shadow.

Her cover ran past a small, isolated building on the far outskirts. The walls were very tall with a mirror inset into it above a few stacked boxes. There was no movement, but muffled noises emanated from inside. Spotting nothing immediately alarming, the Ralts moved forwards. Climbing on the crates, she looked into the mirror only to find it wasn't a mirror at all, but a window.

It was transparent, giving her a perfect view inside the building- which she quickly re-identified as a house. There were so many things inside it was hard to take in; amazingly crafted furniture, wooden floors, figurines of creatures she had never seen, a miniature star on the ceiling surrounded by rotating boards, plants in pots, a human that was looking right at her-

She shot down, almost bashing the window sill in her haste; her heart hammering in her chest as the seconds passed. When nothing seemed to happen, she hesitantly peeked over the edge, ducking back down when she spotted the human still looking at her. She bit her lip. Surely they should have spotted her by now? Taking a risk, she poked her head above the edge a third time.

The human was still there, but they didn't seem to notice her. They seemed to be animatedly talking into the otherwise empty room, unbothered by the lack of audience. She held a hand above her head to block out the glare of sun from the glass. She blinked, confused. On closer inspection, the human appeared to be exceptionally tiny, and standing in some sort of box. Who was she talking to? What was going on here?

In a flash, the human disappeared, only to be replaced with a closeup of her upper body. Various images in the shape of clouds and the sun appeared behind her, the human waving at them animatedly. She stared at this unexpected display, struggling to understand what was happening. What was this? She gazed at the rest of the room, desperate for some context. On the walls were various still images of a few people, all in odd poses and smiling. She frowned at them, comparing it to the weird box. Was it a moving picture? A moving, _talking_ picture at that, though it was a bit hard to hear through the glass.

The Ralts stared at it in awe. Humans had made this? How did they make a picture move and talk like that? It wasn't anything like telepathy, and she didn't sense any psychic energy, so it wasn't an illusion. Who was it even playing for? There didn't seem to be anyone receiving the message around. The moving image changed again, showing a different set of humans. Well if nobody was around to hear it, she might as well listen in. Pressing an ear to the window, she concentrated on the voice within.

"-Mossdeep Space Center has announced plans to launch its first manned mission to the moon later this year." A woman with blue hair announced, an image of a tall yellow-green building coming into focus behind her, with a large white construct looming in the background. A space center? What was that? Ralts watched the screen intently, fascinated. "Using data gathered from the Porygon-M rovers, these brave astronauts and scientists will land on the moon to facilitate the first ever lunar research base. The center has announced that with their new spacefaring technology and cooperation with several species of pokemon that construction should only take a few months. An exciting time for all of us."

She nearly fell off the crate. Land on the _moon_!? Did she hear that right?

"Indeed,-" The screen had switched to focus on the black haired man. "I wish them the best of luck. In other news, Gym Leader Jeffrey Moore of Lavaridge has retired from his position-"

A sudden high pitched bell ring from inside the house sent her scrambling again. She hid below the edge for several minutes, listening to a succession of very faint sounds and footsteps followed by some nondescript clattering, a squeaky groan, and a sigh. Risking a peek, she saw that an actual human had sat on the cushioned seat directly below her. He appeared to be fairly old, brown haired and light of skin, dressed in a baggy garment. A bowl of what appeared to be steaming worms covered in some type of sauce and meat on the table. He reached over to a device on the table and the voice on the screen became so quiet that she struggled to make out anything at all.

Ralts watched this for a few seconds, marveling at the food and the odd way of eating. What was that shiny instrument? Was there something wrong with his hands? They didn't look broken to her. She watched as he twirled the worm-like strands around the instruments tines. So it made eating easier? Eh, she'd rather stick to telekinesis.

The human frowned suddenly, looking left and right before turning around fully. The Ralts recoiled, dropping back onto the crates, and descending even further at the distant sound of footsteps. Darting around a box, she hid with her back to the cardboard and held still.

She heard the glass panel creak as it opened for a moment. "Tch, damn pests. Gotta get rid of-" the humans words cut off as the window closed. The Ralts sighed in relief. That had been too close; the human was starting to get suspicious, she'd have to move on before something bad happened.

Circling around front, she noted a flowerbed and a strange wheeled contraption chained to a fence. More importantly, a road that looked to lead directly into the city. She glanced at the sun once more, finding that little time had passed. Few questions had been answered, many more had arisen. What was a Gym leader? What was that animated box, and how did it work? What kind of weird food was that, and what did it taste like?

But the most important discovery was that announcement on the picture box. Were they really going to…?

She glanced at the distant horizon where a faint white crescent rose from the rim of the world, thoughts of wondrous flight darting across her mind. Shaking her head, she turned back to the human city and started to walk once more.

* * *

Edited to higher standards on 6/26/2018.


	4. Encounter

The city was big from a distance. Up close, it was _enormous._ There had been nobody on the path to the house on the outskirts, but that had rapidly changed the further she went in. The buildings looked imposing and strange this close up, and some had darkened windows that she couldn't see through, though she avoided them when possible as a precaution. People had become increasingly common as she traveled further in, necessitating more subtle movements.

Ralts waited patiently, hidden in a shrub at a narrow intersection, houses behind and the city ahead. There were a few too many humans walking through to move safely. Absentmindedly, she reached out and touched a curl of black material that circled the line of bushes she was in. Smooth, shiny and bendy too. Was this plastic? She had only seen it made into bottles. Why was it in the dirt around a plant? She glanced behind her and observed a row of flowers at the foot of a house. She had never seen a purple flower before. Maybe the plastic helped plants grow, somehow? Wait, no, there wasn't any grass here or there, just chips of wood. Oh! It was to stop other plants from growing in between the bushes and choking out the flowers.

Ralts smiled to herself at a mystery well solved. A few moments passed before there was a significant opportunity to remain unseen and she dashed straight into the alleyway opposite, now in the more obviously 'city' parts of the city. The alleyway stood in stark contrast to the streets behind her. Where before there had been small paths of dirt and grass, there was now a layer of hard dark stone covering the ground. The buildings to either side had no windows into the alley, but one or two doors marked exit. A few large green containers lined one side of the hall. Dust, stones and bits of paper lined the cracks and crevices.

Giving the myriad doors a healthy distance, she moved closer to the green bins. **"Harold Industries Waste and Recyclables"** was emblazoned on the front of both dumpsters, along with the word Trash and Recyclables in large block letters on either. Climbing up on a handle, she cracked open the trash bin. An acrid fume hit her face, and she almost dropped the lid. Coughing slightly, she peered inside. Indeed, inside the bin was various bits of trash. Greasy plates, used tissues and napkins, a pile of torn wrappers, a cracked glass pane, and most noticeably a pile of moldy bread in a bag.

'I don't know what I expected.' Ralts grimaced, spotting a mushroom. 'Yuck. One of these doors must lead to a place that makes food.' Closing the lid, she looked up into the sky. The sun had moved across the sky much faster than she had expected, midday had come and gone not long ago. As if to remind her, Ralts' stomach began to growl. She blinked, and padded herself for a small handful of berries she had most assuredly brought along with her, because heading this far away from home alone without a bit of food was just plain _silly_ and- Ralts let out a small whine, lightly thumping her head on the dumpster. Which was quickly followed by more thumps, letting a quiet, hollow clang ring out through the alley. 'Stupid.' Thump, _clang._ 'Stupid.' Thump, _clang._ 'Stupid.' Thump, _clang._

"Hey, did you guys hear that?" A faint voice said from the side alley further ahead. If Ralts wasn't already pure white, she would have paled considerably. 'Oh no.' She looked behind her, only to see an empty alley far too large to cross. 'Uh.' Forward, passing into the line of sight of whoever had spoken. 'Nononono-' She looked down.

"I'm gonna go check it out! Come on, it might be a Zigzagoon!" Said the first voice. "Oh, I always wanted one of those! Maybe we can grab it?" Exclaimed a girl.

Well, that certainly made the decision easy. As quietly as she could, Ralts opened the dumpster and slipped inside it, diving into the refuse below. Unfortunately, the lid came down too fast after her, producing a loud ring. Muffled footsteps were heard shortly thereafter and Ralts counted three sets of two. Attempting to ignore the smell, she listed to the humans outside carefully.

"It must've been in the dumpster!" Said a boy.

"Is it still there?" Said a deeper voice.

"Well, I don't see it in the alley, so it has to be!" Proclaimed the girl. "You guys better not have scared it off."

Ralts hesitated for a split second before diving into the trash below her, hopefully obscuring her from sight. A crack of light appeared as one of the humans attempted to open the dumpster, but it didn't open very far. From the sounds and the way the crack shifted, Ralts assumed that the person was too short to properly open it, and was jumping to compensate.

The first boy gave a grunt of disappointment. "I can't see inside, it's too dark. Barry, get over here and hold my cone, I need to climb on your back!"

"... Uh, are you sure that's a good idea?" Barry said.

"Come on, I want to see the Zigzagoon!" Said the girl. Ralts heard a sigh, then a small shuffle.

"You ready?" Barry asked.

"Yeah, lift me up!"

A grunt, and then a small noise as the boy steadied himself against the dumpster. "Alright, opening on three. One, two, three!"

Light suddenly flooded the interior of the dumpster, and Ralts heard a cry triumph followed rapidly by distress before the lid came crashing back down, partially deafening her with the reverberation.

'Ow...' She thought, ears ringing.

"Ow... that... didn't go so well..." Grunted the boy outside.

"You think!?" Barry exclaimed. "You threw both of us backward! I told you it wouldn't work!"

"Hey, if you had just moved with me, I could've gotten it easy- Hey! You dropped my ice cream!" The boy replied, angry.

'Ice cream?' Ralts wondered.

"Yeah, well _someone_ knocked me over, and I didn't want to fall on my head!"

"Boys, boys! Calm down!" The girl interjected. "We can get you another one later. Are you okay? Did you see the zigzagoon?"

"Eh? Oh, yeah, I'm fine. Maybe a scrape. I didn't see anything in there, though. Just trash."

"Oh. Come to think of it, all the noise should be making it run around in there, but I don't hear anything."

"Aww... It must've gone down the alley before we got here." Said the girl. A pebble hit the dumpster, ringing it again.

"Oh well. Let's get going, I hear Wally got a Poochyena from the gym leader."

"Wheezy Wally got a Poochyena? That's so cool!"

Ralts heard footsteps, marking the humans departure. She poked her head above the rubbish, gagging. How long had that bread been in here? Grimacing, she wiped off bits of stuff off her coat, before freezing as the lid opened again.

"They gotta stop leaving trash laying around, it's bad for the trees." Barry muttered, dropping something extremely cold and wet right on Ralts' head. "Guys!" he called out, dropping the lid again. "Wait up, I wanna see it too!"

Ralts stood very still for a minute, coldness dripping down her head as the footsteps faded away. With a grimace, she reached up and opened the lid of the dumpster, climbing back out onto the handle, and then the ground below. Reaching up, she felt around her head and grabbed a soft protrusion at the end of the cold material. Pulling the object loose, she stared at it. In her hands laid a yellow cone with an odd grid like pattern covering it's surface, with a lump of white coldness sitting within.

'Is this ice cream?" she wondered. A splot of the treat dropped down her face, sending out a cold shiver. Grimacing, she concentrated and slowly lifted the majority of the liquid off her hair, letting it splatter to the ground below. 'I'm going to have to take a rinse later.' She grumbled.

She eyed the cone thoughtfully. It was some manner of human food, but they had just tossed it away because it fell on the ground? What a waste, she had eaten Magikarp that had fallen in mud just fine. A quick rinse and good as new. Her stomach growled again. Hesitating, she looked around the alley as if the children would pop out from behind the dumpster in revenge, or her grandpa would fall out of the sky and scold her for even thinking of such an idea.

She sniffed it.

It smelled of winter, a cool breeze through an overcast, lightly snowing sky. The shade of the trees at dusk.

A taste.

It was creamy, sweet, soft. It flowed like a liquid but retained shape, it tasted like the early frost, a chilled berry crushed and spread even with flakes, walking through the monochrome forest at the brink of dawn.

"Haaa..." She blinked, and stared down at the marvelous treat in her hands. She took another bite, then two and three-

A sharp spike of pain washed through Ralts' head. She winced, holding her head with her free hand as it died down. 'Right. Don't eat cold things too fast.' She thought.

Walking once more to the heart of the city, she wondered. If they could possibly throw away something like this, what else did they have?

She took another lick. It tasted of clouds.


	5. Vibrations

The streets of Petalburg bustled mightily at this hour, a fact which Ralts observed all too irritably. Sitting morosely inside a cardboard box at the mouth of an alley, she sighed, gazing at the steady streams of people through a small slit. There went a woman in a yellow sundress, over here, a boy in slacks and a t-shirt, and across the street was a man with three chatting kids.

Normally, this would seem like a golden opportunity to find out more about them. The main problem was that there were so many. It was hard to concentrate on any one person for a decent length of time before they got lost in a crowd. She couldn't even overhear what they had to say, as it seemed like all of them were talking at once. Making it across the street was entirely out of the question, as the past hour had confirmed.

With an aggravated grunt, she pushed herself to her feet. This was boring! She came here to discover new and amazing things, not watch people pass her by! It was kinda fun at home, but this was wasted time. But how to move forward? She couldn't go forward... sideways? A quick repositioning showed the same situation down the road, a steady stream of people walking the streets.

Maybe back the way she came? Slowly, she lifted the box a tiny bit and shuffled back into the corridor. However, she quickly discovered that she was indeed surrounded on all sides. The opening to get to this area had taken far too long already. How was she supposed to move? Maybe... underground? There was a storm drain nearby, but it was far too small for her. Any hatches she had seen had been in the middle of the street. She flipped the box over and collapsed in it, frustrated. Morosely, she stared into the sky.

'I can't teleport across, seeing as I can't even crush fruit properly. I'd get ran over if I rushed it with the box... What am I going to do?' Slowly, the minutes ticked by, and a sudden glare made Ralts squint. Sitting up, Ralts rubbed her eyes and glared at the source of the light. A folded metal ladder hung from the top of the building opposite, the sun having drifted far enough to reflect. She blinked, and then grinned. Perfect.

Quickly leaping out of the box, she rushed over to the wall and peered at the ladder speculatively. There must be a way to extend it, she thought. Looking closely, she spotted a small latch at the top. Very carefully, Ralts searched for her hidden power. The comforting warmth of the psychic arts flowed through her body as she opened her mind. A chaotic blend of emotion struck Ralts as she began to pick up on the feelings of the people around her more acutely. Ignoring it as best as she was able, she directed her thoughts to the release mechanism. The latch glowed with exotic purple energy, then sprung open. Ralts winced as it sent a crashing _clankclankclank_ down the alleyway as it expanded to ground level.

'Loud, way too loud! They must have heard that!' she thought as she dashed forward. The rungs were awkwardly spaced, but the psychic pokemon made good time as she scrambled up the side of the building. She glanced back and saw that nobody had deigned to enter the alleyway in investigation, though she doubted that it had gone entirely unnoticed. Sure enough, right as she hopped over the edge of the roof, the door to the building below screeched open. Ralts breathed a sigh of relief, walking away from the edge.

The roof was barren, except for odd bits of shaped metal here and there. A giant machine on a nearby corner rumbled peacefully as it did whatever it was meant to do. The rest of the city unfolded before her, structures four or five times as tall as she speared into the sky, partially obscured by the great many trees that lined every street. Off in the distance, a rather distinguished building sat with giant human letters constructed proudly on top.

It looked rather important, Ralts considered. Path set, the Pokemon approached a nearby tree that grew taller than the roof and formed a tunnel over the street with it's fellows. Testing a likely branch for durability, Ralts smirked. Brushing away the surface of the canopy, she climbed off the roof and onto the bark. She spared a passing glance at the people moving below her, the hubbub slightly dulled by the masses of leaves. None of them appeared to notice the commotion above them and with a grin, she continued to navigate the leafy pass.

Twice she crossed busy streets, hopping onto roofs and climbing back onto the trees opposite, when an odd sound became audible over the general noise of the traffic below. It was melodic in nature, and altered pitch in slow, methodical ways. Curiosity piqued, the psychic pokemon hurdled over one last rooftop and peered at the ground below in search of the melody.

He was old. Thin, with fading waves silvery hair adorning his head. Dressed in a white buttoned shirt and smooth black pants, his wrinkled hands held a rather odd wooden object atop his shoulder. His other grasped a long rod, also of wood but with a separate thin white band attached. Ralts could not make much more out at such a distance. The hand on the object fiddled with something on the neck as he played, and as he drew the white strip of the rod over something, clear notes sung out into the air.

It was one of the most beautiful things she had ever heard. It was long and solid, compared to birdsong, and steadier than any songs sung by the mothers. The song itself played slowly, many low notes echoed slowly across the street, bringing to mind foggy days and a rather tired sense of sadness.

But... why was nobody listening? Across from her vantage point, the bench the man sat on was situated in front of a rather small 'forest' that took up an entire block. It was empty aside from him, and everyone on the street passed him by, like they couldn't even hear the music wafting in the street. A couple slowed down or nodded at the man, but everyone just rushed onward, as if every one of them couldn't stay for longer than a second.

It was an absolute tragedy, she decided. Once more traversing the trees, she came to a rest on a hidden branch above the musician. They didn't know what they were missing. Oh well, their loss. If they wouldn't listen, she would.

Down below, the musicians' tunes played out among the people, giving off a feel of sorrow and resignation. He had been doing this every day for a long time now, and nobody stopped to listen. Today was no different. But, in some immeasurable way, the notes felt lighter. He played on.


	6. Ruckus

Eventually, the song ended. The man stood up, cracked his back, and packed away his instrument. Stretching, Ralts herself rose from her treetop perch, and watched as the man slowly walked down the street. His music had turned a more upbeat note near the end, she noted. Silently, she waved him goodbye and turned to her original destination.

A comparatively short time later, she arrived at the Petalburg gym. It was situated at the center of a large plaza surrounded by a large hedge wall, with several flat concrete fields circling the structure. The building itself was several stories high, and sported a bright, cheery GYM sign across the surface. Unfortunately, her path of trees ended a distance before the fields. She sighed. There would be no getting close to this building. Shame, it had looked rather important...

A commotion on the field caught her attention. A couple of young humans had entered the area, different from the ones in the alley or the two who had tried to capture her. They were about 50 yards away, and one of them appeared to be jostling the other onto a field. This warranted further investigation, she decided, and descended from the tree into the hedges. Shifting through the twigs, she arrived at the closest point to the ruckus. They had arrived in the center of an arena next to the hedge, which was marked by a drawing of concentric circles.

"-know the rules, Billy, a pokemon trainer has to accept any challenge he receives!" said one of them. He was a tallish boy, with styled blond hair and a well tailored blue suit.

"And I already said, I'm not a trainer, Winston!" Cried the other (Billy?). He was a foot shorter than Winston, had brown hair, and wore a blue and yellow shirt with black shorts and a blue cap.

"Oh?" challenged Winston, who smirked. "You caught a pokemon, that means you are a pokemon trainer. If you weren't you wouldn't be allowed to buy a pokeball, and they only sell those to people who show a pokedex!"

Billy flushed. "I- but- I'm not going to go around fighting people, I just wanted a pet!"

"Then you should have just gone out and grabbed one." Winston shrugged.

"You're the one who said I had to get a pokeball to get a pokemon!"

"Did I?" Winston put a finger on his chin in mock contemplation. "I do believe I only said that Trainers used pokeballs to catch pokemon, and that it was one of the easier methods to acquire one. You're the one that went out and registered."

"You lied to me!" He said, pointing a finger accusingly.

"No, I'm quite sure everything I said was true." He tapped his foot. "Now, are you going to blame me for every poor decision you've made, or are we going to battle?"

Winston, Ralts decided, was a jerk. She didn't fully understand what exactly was going on, but obviously he had tricked Billy into something he didn't want to do. Silently, she rooted for the short boy. _'Kick his butt, Billy!'_

The child grit his teeth. "Fine!" he shouted, pulling out his pokeball. "But I'll win this thing, and then you have to pay!"

Enlarging his own, Winston chuckled. "As if. Go, Thomas!" he called, throwing the ball up into the air. With a loud pop and Whzxzxzxzxzxzx, a red blob shot out of the pokeball and to the arena floor, which resolved itself into the form of a Zigzagoon.

"Zig!" it yipped, running in a circle, before turning to face Billy. "Zig-zig!"

"Ah..." Billy stepped back, hesitating.

"Hm? Are you intimidated? After such bravado a moment ago..." Winston shook his head.

Billy looked infuriated at this. "I'm not scared!" Taking out his own pokeball, he tossed it into the air. Releasing it's own beam of bright light, a Seedot emerged from containment. The stage was set. (1)

"Seed?" Seedot said, looking around in confusion.

Winston was smirking again. "A Seedot? Really? They're useless!"

"I'll show you useless!" He pointed at the enemy Zigzagoon, snarling. "Seedot, Tackle!"

Seedot didn't move. A second passed.

"Dot?" It said, looking at Billy uncertainly.

Winston held stifled a chuckle with his hand. "Having a bit of trouble there?"

"Shut up you! What are you doing?" asked Billy, looking back at his pet. "Tackle the Zigzagoon!"

"Dot..." Looking vaguely uncertain, Seedot turned back to the racoon Pokemon. Starting forward, it picked up speed, it's stubby feet plodding the ground at a sluggish rate. "SeeeeeeEEEEE-" it cried, and flung itself full force at the Zigzagoon, slightly nudging him before falling face first onto the pavement.

"Zig." The Zigzagoon nudged the seed, unimpressed.

 _'What is he doing?'_ Ralts winced. _'Seedots can't fight head on!'_

Winston had burst into full on laughter, clutching his sides as the ridiculous display unfolded. Billy, for his part, looked dumfounded.

"Ah ha ha... hoo. That was the best thing I've seen all day." Winston smirked as he regained his composure. "Now then, let me show you how it's done." He waved his hand lazily in the direction of his still toppled enemy. "Thomas, tackle."

Thomas yipped. He bounced back two steps, jumped in a circle, rushed forward into the struggling Seedot and rammed his head straight into it's side. The Seedot was launched backwards, tumbling across the ground before skidding to a stop on Billy's side of the arena.

"Seed..." it said, dazed.

"Seedot! Are you okay?" Billy sported an expression of worry.

"Dot... dot." it replied, twisting around and climbing to it's feet. "Dot, Seedot."

"Uh." Billy glanced at Winston, then focused on Thomas. "Right. Can you still fight?"

"Seed!" A fire had appeared in the Seedots eyes. It appeared the fight was personal, now.

"Heh. I've yet to see any fight in the first place." Winston closed his eyes and made a shrugging motion with one hand, resting the other on his hip. "In my opinion, you should just surrender now and save yourself the pain."

"We'll show you!" Billy shouted. "Alright Seedot, use Solar Beam!" He pointed at Zigzagoon, impending triumph splayed on his face.

For a second time, nothing happened. Seedot stared at his master. "Seed?" it said, somehow managing to convey exasperation. Billy's face fell.

Winston had palmed his face. "How can anyone be this terrible?" He murmured to nobody in particular.

"You can't...?" Billy asked, then continued, "Uh. Frenzy plant!" Seedot continued to stare.

"Petal Dance! Leaf Blade!" Winston was burying his face deeper into his hands.

"Giga Drain!? Razor Leaf? Vine Whip?" Zigzagoon yawned, and scratched at his ear.

"Come, on!" He pleaded. "Bullet Seed, Absorb, Stun Spore? You must know how to do one of them!"

"Seed!" it replied, confused and worried. "Dot, Seedot Seed-seed!"

Ralts herself was getting irritated by the boys lack of knowledge. _'I don't think I've ever seen a Seedot use anything he's said, whatever they are, and that Seedot looks months old at best! Why isn't he using Seedots' natural abilities?'_ She slumped. _'He must not know. The Seedot doesn't seem capable of using them on it's own, either.'_

She peered back at the helpless pokemon, and at his opponent. She didn't want this taller boy to win. But what could she do? It was his battle, and she couldn't give the Seed pokemon orders. Or, she realized, maybe she could? It wasn't like mental contact was new, it was their races primary mode of communication after all! But all she had ever used it for in regards to other species was to force a sense of disorientation on the opponent to stun or confuse it enough to escape or capture the recipient.

"Right then," Winston said, simultaneously interrupting Billy's ineffective calling of abilities and Ralt's train of thought. "I think it's time we finished this. Maybe then, you can go learn how to not be a terrible trainer!"

"Eh?" Billy looked up at his nemesis. "Wait, no!"

"Yes!" Winston opposed, and flung out his arm. "Go, Thomas! Bury that seed in the ground!"

Thomas yipped, and rushed forward.

"Seedot!" Billy cried, reaching out as if he could protect it himself. "Do something!"

"Seedot!" Seedot responded, turning back to his approaching doom and eyes wide with fear.

And Ralts knew she had to act. She reached out and connected, and, in something that was less than words, spoke-

 _'What comes around, goes around.'_

\- and Seedot understood, and cowered no longer. Coming to fully face his opponent, he stood his ground and prepared himself.

Zigzagoon rammed into Seedot with the force of a hammer, slamming the pokemon into the ground. "Goooooon!" it crowed, boasting of it's prowess.

"Seedot! Are you... okay?" Billy blinked at the strange sight before him.

"Seed... _Seed..._ " Seedot replied, and began emanating a soft red glow where it lay, motionless.

"Now then, Thomas!" Winston called, not seeming to notice the light. "Finish it off, crack open its shell!"

"Zagoon!" Jumped to the other side of the glowing Seedot and bit down on the stem poking from the head of the pokemon. "Zig!" It cried, lifting the Seed pokemon off the pavement, and hurling it back down on it's other side. "Zag!" Lifted once more, he brought him down with a _crack_.

Over and over again, Zigzagoon hurled Seedot against the pavement, but with each iteration of this assault, Seedot's red aura grew brighter and brighter. "Seed... Seed..."

"What...?" Billy uttered, transfixed by the strange light.

"Eh? Winston said, finally becoming aware of the disturbance. "Is that? Wait, what!?" Winston's eyes widened dramatically as he stepped back. "How... When did you-? Thomas!" he screamed as the Zigzagoon continued to pummel at the shimmering Seedot, "Stop, retreat, get back here!"

Thomas's head snapped to his trainer after he slammed his opponent down for the last time. "Zag?" he said, dropping the stem.

"Run, dodge! it's going to-" Winston was cut off.

 ** _"SEEDOT."_** The seedot bellowed from the floor. It stood up ponderously, like an awakening giant. The Zigzagoon yipped in surprise, turning to stare at it's opponent.

Billy grinned victoriously, confused but understanding that something awesome was happening. "Seedot! Go get him!" he commanded. And Seedot _obeyed_ , the entirety of his crimson aura collapsed and coalesced into a raging white sphere.

 _"Seeeeeee-!"_ He shouted, staring straight at his opponent.

"Thomas!"

Thomas turned to run, but he was far, far too late.

 _ **"-DOOOOOOOOOOT!"**_

A raging torrent of energy cascaded out of the sphere, crashing straight into Thomas's face with the force of a raging Tauros. With a pained cry, Zigzagoon was launched away, skipping across the pavement a fourth of the way across the grounds, where he fell to the earth, tumbled twice and skidded to a halt. Thomas struggled to stand, but faltered and collapsed, motionless.

"Thomas!" Winston cried, rushing over to his fallen friend. Falling at his side, he quickly checked him over before sighing in relief. "Just unconscious..." he muttered. He brought out his pokeball and with another laser returned Thomas to his device. "Don't worry buddy, I'll get you to a center soon."

"Yeah!" Billy cheered, as he ran to hug his Seedot. "We did it! We won! Oh I thought we were done for but then you glowed like _Fwhoom_ and then you blasted a laser like _Peoooow_ and that was awesome!" He laughed as he spun in place, hugging his pokemon tightly.

"See-Seedot..." Seedot replied, dizzy and exhausted but happy.

Ralts giggled to herself as she watched the childish display. Yes, she decided, interfering had been totally worth it.

"Ha!" Billy shouted, pointing at the returning Winston, "I won! That means you gotta pay up!"

"That win was a load of tosh and you know it." Winston scowled. "You didn't even do anything."

"Doesn't matter, I still won!"

Winston sighed. "Yes, very well. What do you want?"

"You!" Billy declared, "Are going to pay for my lunch!"

Winston raised an eyebrow. "It's five-thirty. Lunch was over three hours ago."

"Linner!" Billy immediately restated, grinning madly.

Winston stared at him. "What in the world is Linner?"

"It's like brunch, but with dinner and lunch."

"I don't think that's a word."

"Well is is now!" He folded his arms. "I just made it one!"

Winston facepalmed. "You are just unbelievable."

Billy, who had started walking out of the area, called back "Unbelievably _awesome_!"

"Seed!"

Winston groaned and followed them. Ralts watched them go with a silly grin on her face. This place, she decided, was so much more interesting than the forest. Next time she came, she'd have to...

 _'Next time?'_ She asked herself. Well, yes. The urge surprised her. When she had first set out, she had only wanted to satisfy her unusual curiosity. But now, she thought, I can see just how much I've been missing. She didn't think she could stand not ever tasting that sweet concoction ice cream again, nor could she forget the soft melody the man on the bench had played.

The fight just now, the latter half had set her ablaze with excitement. That singular rush when the Seed pokemon unleashed it's full power was unlike most things she had ever experienced. And the moon! They were going to walk on the moon! How had they been able to fly so far as to break the sky? It was so far away, and yet...

 _'Humans had left the forests behind.'_ She thought, staring at the shadowed moon, which was looming at the horizon. _'They left it behind and reached for the stars. Maybe...'_

She paused and looked at the sky, which was transitioning into darker shades of red.

 _'Oh,'_ she realized. _'The moon is coming up.'_

A moment of silence.

 _'Crap!'_ Panicking, she untangled herself from the leaves and turned to run. _'It's late! It's really really late!'_ Fretting, she shot along the hedge and shimmied back up the tree. _'It's going to be twilight before I make it back at minimum! Oh Gramps is going to tear me a new one...'_ Dread in her heart, she shot along the rooftops and towards the place she called home.

(1) does not allow images to be linked or used in stories. You may find it on my profile.


	7. Ambush

By the time Ralts had made it back to the forest edge, twilight had well and truly fallen. The woods took upon themselves an ethereal haze, as the glow of the moon slowly became the only source of light. Taking care to make as little noise as possible, the psychic weaved through trees and shrubs towards home.

The Poochyena hunted most often at night, she knew. Their natural coal coloring and dark minds made the gloom a perfect hunting ground. Ralts bore this in mind most clearly as the sun faded entirely. Navigating the half remembered surroundings, she became acutely aware of every sound around her.

A third of the way there, she said to herself as time passed. The moon rose near its' apex in the sky. A third more. A Taillow's echoing shriek caused her to jump, terrified. She stilled, listening intently. When nothing further happened, she let loose her stilled breath.

A lone howl then echoed through the darkness, freezing the blood in her veins. Abandoning all subtlety, Ralts fled through the bush. Shadows jumped and twisted in the light as a feral chorus answered the first. Through this bush, jump the rocks, slide under the fallen tree. The cries sounded again, closer.

Ralts took fleeting glances at her surroundings as she passed dim light made it hard to see, but her mind pieced flashes of familiar scenery together. This was… yes, she knew this place, she was so close! Making a hard turn left, she dashed with renewed vigor. Behind her, she heard a crash as her pursuers slammed into a thorny brush. She winced as the pained cries echoed behind her. This is not the time to feel pity, she told herself, and pushed further on.

Just a short time later, she saw a light flickering in the distance. The sounds of pursuit echoed behind her in frightening volume, and she put on that extra burst of speed as she dove through into the clearing beyond.

"What the-" A voice called. The guard from earlier stood in the glow of a floating oil lamp, staring at her with wide eyes. His spear was pointing directly at her.

"Poochyena!" Ralts cried, skidding around his weapon and hiding behind him. "From the forest!"

"You- What!?" The Kirlia halted his half turn and returned his gaze to the woods beyond. The bushes rustled all around them. Ralts huddled closer to the guards side.

"You know," he mentioned, eyes shifting back and forth. "When I said I'd protect you from the poochyena, I didn't exactly mean 'Go out and find them.'"

"You're lecturing me about this _now_!?"

"Might not get another chance." He shifted his grip and lowered his lantern onto the ground. "Stay low, I'll get us both out of here, alright?" The shadows danced eerily around the clearing. The wind picked up slightly, whistling through the canopy above. For a moment, there was calm. (1)

From the left, a poochyena exploded out of the shrubbery, thirty pounds of sharp teeth and fury. Kirlia spun around at once and smashed it to the ground with the haft of her spear. Pirouetting, he levered the mutt and flung him, intercepting another leaping dog in midair. He skid to a halt and stabbed at the third dog rushing down the center.

The dog dodged to the side, but yelped when the spear scored a gash along his body. Kirlia pulled back and stabbed again, but the poochyena retreated, growling. Spinning, he caught the shaft in the snarling jaws of a recovered foe and with a heave slammed it down, narrowly ducking under the first poochyenas attack.

Ralts watched in terrified awe as Kirlia spun and slashed at the dogs, barely managing to stay ahead of their ferocious attacks with skill and experience. Shaking, she reached out with her psychic power, searching for any way to help, but found that her efforts slid off the dogs like water.

But there had to be _something_. Sitting here, useless, powerless… A swell of fury rose within her. Again she threw a psychic blast at the hounds, again her efforts yielded nothing. Helpless, she watched as her guardian faltered, and received a gash to the arm for his mistake. Desperately, her eyes wandered the clearing for anything she could possibly do.

Kirlia panted as the dogs readied themselves for another assault. The poochyena circled him, looking for an opening to exploit. He winced as fresh gashes on his arm pulsed, launching a fresh wave of pain. Sensing weakness, the hounds closed in from all sides, snarling and thrashing. Desperately, he warded off two of them with a wide sweep and caught the third in the leg, tripping it.

He jerked the spear backwards, jamming the haft into an adversaries snarling maw. The poochyena growled and snapped its jaw shut around the shaft and pulled away, almost yanking the tool out of Kirlia's hands. He stumbled, falling to a knee. The other dogs rebounded and charged in from opposite sides. Panicked, Kirlia turned to his left and instinctively shot a blast of pure psychic energy at the incoming mutt. Ignoring it, both poochyena darted forward, slavering. Raising an arm in guard, Kirlia braced for the pain.

He was rather startled when they were instead pelted with two rather large glowing rocks. He kicked the hound attached to his weapon once, twice, and finally knocked the beast off. Leaping backwards, he brandished his spear at the poochyena once more, and glanced backward to whence the timely assistance had come. Face screwed in concentration, Ralts stood tall in the flickering lamp light. Around her orbited tens of stones, whirling and scraping against each other.

Kirlia paused, then broke out a wry grin. "Couldn't have busted that out earlier?"

Ralts let out a low, annoyed keen, and a rock narrowly missed the guards head. A whine sounded as a dog was downed in mid-leap.

"Point made." He noted.

Swinging around the haft, he slammed another hound to the dirt. Whirling, he slashed at the third foe which failed to dodge in time, leaving a seeping gash across its side. It was then hit by a stone. Hit by hit, slash by slash, the poochyena were driven back. Any advancements made or tactics attempted, thwarted by a precisely slung piece of granite.

Finally, after an an age of combat, all of the poochyena laid upon the ground, exhausted and bloodied. Kirlia, out of breath, watched them with spear at the ready. Slowly, the trio of aggressors climbed to their feet. Letting out a mournful howl, all three slinked off into the night.

Sighing with relief, the guardsman planted his spear into the ground and rested against it for a moment, before turning to his attention to his charge. Ralts had long released her orbiting ring and lay on her knees, gasping for air.

Kirlia staggered over and kneeled down. "You alright, there? It's okay." He laid a hand on her shoulder at her shuddering breaths. "It's okay. We made it, eh?"

He was silent for a time, letting her regain her stamina. "First time using that much energy, huh? Didn't even think you had that much in you, most younglings don't. Really saved my butt there." he added.

Ralts chucked weakly. "Had to… had to do something. Couldn't sit and do no-nothing." She coughed, mouth dry.

"Well, I'm glad you had my back. Not many would have started chucking rocks." Gently, he turned her over and scooped her into his arms. With a bit of effort, he telekinetically lifted his spear and the lamp, which hovered behind him.

"C'mon," he said, walking through the trees. "Your grandfather was worried."

"Let's go home."

* * *

(1) Yet another image may be found on my profile.


	8. Elder

The walk was quiet, though Ralts did not notice so much. At some point, she had transferred to riding the shoulders of the guard, head resting between his bright red horns. With tired eyes, she watched the trees pass by as they made their way home.

She could sense when the guard sent out a psychic message, presumably alerting everyone else about her. Idly she searched for who else might be out, but her range was still very limited; she could not sense anyone.

"You holding up okay?" The guard asked after a long silence.

"'m tired." she mumbled.

She could feel the amusement wafting off of him. "Yeah, going head to head with a pack like that does that to you."

"You're not tired at all!" she accused.

"Nah, I'm exhausted too. But I've trained for this, and I'm bigger than you as well. I can deal with it." He smirked. "Who knows, more escapades like this and you might be as tall as me soon."

"Do you really mean it?" she whispered. Staying awake was becoming a difficult prospect.

"Of course! Stressful experiences like that are the fastest way to achieve the form of Kirlia! Though," he backtracked suddenly, realizing what he was saying. "you should not disappear for an entire day like this. These woods are dangerous you know, and… huh."

He paused, and only heard soft breathing in reply.

* * *

She woke up in darkness, illuminated by candlelight and a soft shine from far away. Soreness emanated from her legs, and her mouth was dry. Rubbing her eyes, Ralts sat up and beheld the familiar comfort of her room which was located within the cave.

Her bed was a semi-carved alcove in the wall, liberally padded with dried grass and other greenery. Next to it was a large, flat boulder which held a few trinkets. A rusted old spearhead laid prominently next to a faded red hair clip at the edge closest to her resting place. Other things were strewn further back, such as a collection of interesting rocks (The transparent green one was her favorite.) and even a small skeleton of a Magikarp that had two tails.

What caught her attention was a small cup of water next to a burning candle. She took a large drink and coughed as it stuck in her throat. Emptying the cup, she gingerly swung herself out of the alcove, grimacing at the lingering ache. The rest of her room was somewhat empty. A small yellow ball found on the trails rested on the floor, and a worn out replica of a Surskit made out of grasses laid on another rocky table. The walls were occasionally marked by her own amateur attempts at artistry.

Putting the candle out, she gingerly made her way into the main cavern of her home. Her grandfather stood at a table against the wall, muttering to himself. She brightened up immediately, ache forgotten.

"Grandpa!" she exclaimed, latching onto his waist.

"Wh-! Oh dear," he said, turning around. He knelt and hugged Ralts in return. "It is good to see you up and about. I admit I wasn't expecting this for a little while yet." He pulled away and looked her over. "Are you feeling well? Are you hurt?"

Ralts shook her head in the negative. "I'm all right. My legs are really sore though."

He smiled, relief blazoned upon his face. "I am glad. You hadn't come home when the dark came in, and nobody knew where you had gone. I was so worried."

"I'm sorry." she mumbled.

"You're safe now, that's all that matters." he murmured in return. Pausing, he continued, "Though, I must ask a question. Please answer truthfully, what were you doing out so late?"

Ralts froze. A myriad of excuses, each worse than the last, raced through her mind. "I… I got lost?" she tried, weakly.

Her grandfather stared at her blankly, then sighed. "I see." Turning around, he reached back toward the table. "Would the reason happen to have something to do with… this?" Facing her once more, he held in his hand the Pokeball from yesterday morning.

She boggled at the small device. "I- what- how?"

"It was on the floor by the entrance." he stated. "Nobody but us has come into these caves for three days, and yesterday morning you lingered at the entrance. Hiding something?"

Whatever formative plan she had begun to make wilted and died at her grandfather's questioning. She nodded, ashamed.

"I see." he murmured. His eyes sharpened. "You asked about humans before you disappeared. Where did you find this?"

"I…" Ralts hesitated. "Yesterday morning. I was picking berries on the trails- _I'm sorry!_ " she pleaded at his disapproving frown. "The berries there are so much bigger I… well, nothing had ever happened before so…"

He didn't say anything. At her pause, he motioned her to continue.

"Ah." she stammered. "I, ah, well. Yesterday, when I was about to go home… two humans snuck up behind me and- and tried to capture me."

"Oh." he breathed. "Oh child."

"They had a zigzagoon, and it knocked me around a bit." she rambled. "I… they threw that at me. I saw it coming, and dodged into the bushes and ran for it. I found it after they left."

There was a moment of silence. "After you asked your questions, you left the village. Where did you go?"

Ralts hesitated once more. Mustering her courage, she responded. "I went north. To the human city."

"Oh." Her grandfather looked ready to faint, his hands trembling mightily. "Oh, what have you done?"

"I don't-" Ralts reached out to him, but drew back at a sudden advance.

He grabbed her by the shoulders and spoke forcefully, "Did they see you!? Did they _follow_ you?" His eyes searched hers in a panic.

"I-" Ralts was taken aback. "N-no! They didn't see me! I was hidden the entire time!"

He held her gaze for a moment more, before exhaling. "Good." Releasing her, he stood to his full height. "What were you thinking!?" he scolded. "You could have gotten captured! They could have found us! You- I-" His face twisted, his voice lowered to a whisper. "I could have lost you."

"I just… I…" Rats felt tears prick at her eyes. She wringed her hands together, robbed of any reply.

Her grandfather stood in silence for a moment longer, then sighed. "Can you tell me why? I know I have told you before that humans were trouble. Why in the world would almost being captured spur you to travel into their city?"

Ralts sniffled, then rallied. "I don't really know. I mean, after they left, I found that ball they threw at me in the forest. It, well." She held out a hand. After a moment's hesitation, the aged Kirla gave her the device. "It was like nothing I had seen before. If you press the button-" The pokeball shrank to a fourth of its' size. "it shrinks, and if you press it again it grows." She demonstrated, and her grandfather looked incredulous.

"That's it?" he said. "It's just a pokeball. I don't see how-"

"What do you mean, 'that's it'?" Ralts said, shocked. "That's amazing! They're tiny little balls that can shrink and grow on command! And, and the humans keep their companions in them! I saw a full Zigzagoon pop out of the one! It was alive and well, and, and how did they do that? How does this thing work? I just… I…" She trailed off, suddenly self conscious of her rambling. "I know you told me about them earlier, but seeing it for myself was different. I just wanted to know more."

"Hmfh. There are better ways to satisfy curiosity than charging straight into a human city!" he frowned. "Were my lessons not enough? I'm one of the most knowledgeable people here and yet-"

No!" Ralts interrupted. "No, it wasn't. Everything I've ever heard about humans were either warnings or horror stories. Everything else is just… bits and pieces overheard from whenever we weren't so scared that we ran away at the first sign of them!"

"Of course we do." His tone was wavering, confused. "You should know by now how dangerous they are. There's nothing of worth to be had from them, how can you even argue this?"

"You didn't see what I saw!" she accused. Gesturing wildly, she explained. "I was there, in the city! I saw structures made of stone and glass rise taller than any tree! They had boxes with moving images in them, which talked and showed faraway places! I tasted their food, and it was sweeter than anything I had ever eaten before, and they threw it away casually like garbage! I heard a wordless song from an old man who created it with wood and strings, it was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard. And they ignored it." She stalled, breathing heavily. After a moment she continued in a more even tone. "If they can ignore such wonderful things, there must be something even grander out there to make them seem dull. I'm just… I want to see it. I want to see all of it."

An uneasy quiet took place once more. Eyes wide, her grandfather seemed shocked. "I…" he started. "Even so, you can't do this again. If we were discovered, we would surely all be caught by these humans. Here in the forest, we are safe-"

"They went to the moon."

"-from discovery- what?"

"I said, they went to the moon. I heard it from one of their picture boxes."

Incredulity wrote itself across his features. "You can't be serious. Humans can't fly, and even so, the moon is so far away-"

"They did!" Ralts roared. "They built a giant ship that goes up and they went to the moon and now they're going to build a giant house there!"

The elderly Kirlia had the distinct feeling he was losing control of the argument. "Well, okay. That's incredible. But what does that have to do with this?"

"Because, if they don't mind flying toward the stars to reach the moon, why would they have trouble finding us here, eventually?" Ralts pointed outside. "I saw their city, and for all its size it was still growing! They're not going to stop at the edge of the forest. They're going to keep coming, until by luck or accident, they find us."

He shook his head. "Whatever the case, it's still not safe out there!"

"It's not going to be safe _here_ for much longer either!"

"Then what would you have me do!?" her grandfather snapped, temper wearing thin. "Go up to the humans and politely ask them to stop!? There can be no resolution! They would not even listen to me for a second! Whatever they've done, they are still humans, and the humans would still capture us!"

"Then I'll make them!" Ralts shouted, surprised at her own outburst. "With _this_!" Brandishing the pokeball still within her grasp, she proclaimed, "You said that the best trainer made all the rules, right? With this, I will become that trainer and then they will have to listen."

Her grandfather's expression could be best described as that of a freshly caught magikarp, open mouthed and shocked beyond comprehension. "Have you gone mad!? Becoming a trainer? What in the world are you thinking, you can't do that!"

"Why not?" she challenged.

"They would sooner capture you!"

"Then I'll disguise myself!" she retorted.

"What foolishness- No disguise could possibly conceal you! We look far too different!"

"Then I'll trick them! We can use our powers to make light shows, or daze creatures, why could I not use it to deflect suspicion?"

"Stop! Just- stop, for one moment!" Ralts stilled. Had she gone too far? Her grandfather closed his eyes and took a deep breath. He shook for a second, then clasped his hands together and exhaled slowly.

Another moment passed, and then he cracked an eye at her. "Do you know why we are here? Or rather," he amended. "why there is a village at all? The reason we do not all wander in the wilds aimlessly like all other species?"

Ralts frowned. She didn't remember hearing this story. The question had never even crossed her mind. The village simply _was_. "I've never heard that story. Why?"

"Hm. It is important history, though I suppose I cannot fault the others for not passing the story along. It happened so long ago." He beckoned her over to a rocky table, where they sat. Ralts fiddled with the pokeball still in her grasp. Her grandfather eyed it. "I suppose the first question is, have you heard of our Ancestor?"

"Ancestor?" Ralts frowned. "I think I've heard some of the old Kirlia say things like," She adopted an exaggerated voice of a crone. "'Back in my day, the Ancestor would have sorted this mess out right quick.' Is that who you're talking about?"

Grandfather nodded solemnly. "She was a Gardevoir."

Ralts gasped and leaned forward. The third evolution of her kind was extraordinarily rare. "Like my parents?"

A flash of sorrow crossed the old Kirlia's face. "Not quite. Your parents were regular gardevoirs, as far as that term can be applied. The Ancestor was different, and though she vanished a mere few seasons before your birth, I can remember that frightening woman to this day." He leaned back. "She didn't look like a regular gardevoir at all, no. Your parents, they had solid green hair, eyes like rubies. My son had a coat of a pure cloud, and your mother's was a dress of fresh snow. Graceful and precise, their dances were beautiful."

Ralts felt that old ache in her heart. She had never gotten to know them, and never would. Her grandfather's words provided a tiny bit of catharsis.

"But the Ancestor, her coat was marred by streaks of darkest pitch; her hair was stained with spots of clouded water, and her eyes shone in blood. Even her horn was cracked in twain." (1) He stared into the distance, reminiscing. "She was a true terror. Even crippled as she was, she exuded a power greater than anything else I have ever known."

"Crippled?" This Ancestor seemed scary. What was her relation to the village?

"Mmm. Yes, she was crippled. Every time she used her abilities, she said her body lit up with an intense fire. What she could bring to bear at the hardest of times was amazing, and yet it still felt like a stream was running a route that once carved a canyon. Even as she was, she was our protector, our leader. Her abilities were enough to ward off even the Mightyena."

"Warded off the Mightyena? I thought you said my parents…?"

Her grandfather nodded sadly. "Mmm. When she vanished, her protections faded over time. Eventually, the leader of the wild dogs in the forest decided we were a fit meal. Your parents objected and, well. I have told this story before."

Ralts dipped her head low, and fiddled with the ball a bit. Composing herself, she returned to the matter at hand. "Why are you telling me about the Ancestor?"

"Because she is at the root of the matter. The reason that she is called the Ancestor is that so many years have passed that we all can trace our forbearers back to her. She was the founder of the village."

Ralts stared in disbelief. "What? That's crazy! She couldn't have been so ancient!"

He chuckled. "Indeed, even when I was young, she was ancient. My grandfather knew her, and so did his grandfather. She was old beyond compare, and oh, did she loath humans."

"Amazing, to live to such an age, and in such a state!" Ralts wondered at it, before the last part caught her attention. "She hated humans? Why?"

"Because it was the actions of the humans that crippled her."

"What!?"

"The story is fragmented, and she kept her past hidden, but she told this story every so often. To remind us. When she was young, she herself was the partner of a human. Back in ancient times when the distinction between a pokemon and human didn't exist. And it was the consequence of that partnership which caused her to lose so much of herself. Whatever happened, she fled that world, leaving naught but dust and hatred behind her."

"She gathered every one of her kind she could find on the continent. We moved here, deep into the wilds. She took pieces of knowledge from her time with the humans and taught us how to be that slightest bit better, and then we were able to build all this, humble as it is."

He sighed, suddenly seeming every bit his age. "She warned us of them continually. 'Do not go near the humans, they will capture you, and hurt you.' With her tricks nobody ever wandered near, and those brave few who left were never seen again. When she left us, leadership was passed to your parents as the only remaining gardevoir. And now it is shared amongst us old folk. Every day I wonder if today is the day it all falls apart."

"I am scared." he admitted, looking her in the eye. "I am scared of what they could do. If they could do such things to _her_ , then…" He sighed. "My son is gone, and so is your mother. I don't want to lose you too."

SIlence fell. Ralts turned the situation over in her head. What her grandfather spoke of seemed almost impossible in the face of what she had witnessed. She couldn't imagine a place that held such marvels to be capable of also performing such horrors. But then, she hadn't seen much, had she?

"I still want to go." She said.

Her grandfather looked at her incredulously. "After all that I have told you, you still pursue this ambition?"

Ralts made an affirming hum. "I get that horrible things were done to her. I get that. But… it was very long ago, wasn't it? The people there, in the city… I can't see them doing such things. What I said before still applies as well. We can't stay here forever, and you said yourself that whatever she did to protect us is gone. I need to do this." She stared her grandfather down, steadfast.

The seconds ticked by as he stared right back, but then he sighed. "Stubborn, you are. Just like your father. I suppose you got that mouth of yours from your mother, too."

"You'll need a cloak, I think." He continued. Ralts' eyes widened. "Maybe a hat? You'll need to learn illusions as well-" He grunted, interrupted by an abrupt impact. Smiling, he returned his granddaughters hug.

"Thank you!"

"Don't thank me yet. We'll have to do a bit of preparation, and there's still the fact that you need to fool one of those professors into thinking you're human. But, first things first, you need a name."

She blinked. "A name?"

He chuckled. "What, you didn't notice? Humans aren't psychic and don't talk via telepathy. They use their voices, and they can't just identify someone by their mental signature. So they need to single people out with a personal name!" He patted her head. "Took me a bit to figure that one out too. And I didn't go sneaking around a city!"

"So!" The elderly Kirlia kneeled, and clapped both hands on her shoulders. "As your grandfather, it is my pleasure to grant you a name! Something worthy of the hope you seek to bring us, I think. My son, he was like the night, harmonic in nature and of calm mind. Your mother was like the day, with a burning spirit of fiery passion and determination. Haha, I think I've got it!"

Ralts jittered, giddy at the prospect. "What is it? What is it?"

"So, the humans think they can go wherever they please! They can have the moon, I say." he said with a flourish. Spreading his hands, he continued, "We'll go even further beyond! Granddaughter, I bestow upon you the name Astra. A name fit for the heavens. A rising star amongst the unknown. Fitting, wouldn't you say?"

Astra grinned.

"Now, let's see about that disguise…"

(1) Another image. You may find it on my profile.


	9. Charade

It was slightly past mid-day when a trio of psychics moved out from the village. Their goal was simple: Astra was to enter a human settlement and become a Pokemon trainer.

"I still can't believe we're doing this." The guard complained. He was leading the small group forward, heading east. "It's completely insane."

Walking in the middle, Astra's grandfather grunted. "It is what is necessary. We've been exceptionally lucky so far. Without action on our end, we will doom ourselves."

The guard merely sighed. "That's the same reasoning as earlier. It still sounds crazy. Even then, you could have waited more than half a day to start this! Or even, I don't know, told anybody else!?"

"I don't see why I have to wait when I'm ready!" Astra huffed, herself taking up the rear, fully clad in her disguise far ahead of necessity.

"That's another thing. How in the world did you master illusions in that time? Last I heard, you were still having trouble with control."

"Maybe it's because I'm awesome-" Astra's boast was cut off by a flick to her forehead. "Ow! Hey!" she pouted at her grandfather, who merely smiled.

"Do not get too overconfident, Astra. In any case, she has not mastered illusionary arts, no. But she has learned enough that, combined with her disguise, it should be trivial to misdirect their expectations." he smiled. "That said, she did pick it up rather quickly. I suspect she hit a minor breakthrough during your scuffle the other night."

"You look ridiculous, by the way." The guard mentioned. "How aren't you getting heatstroke in that thing?

"I do not! I look mysterious, and cool." she replied. "Literally. It isn't getting that warm, actually. I can just make a breeze on the inside. See?" She struck a fancy pose, and the garment dramatically billowed in the still air.

"Admittedly, we did not have a lot of choice in 'style'." Her grandfather shrugged, ignoring the display. "We don't have any tailors, and only had one bolt of fabric. We are lucky that it managed to fit together, I think the aesthetic can be forgiven."

"The 'sleeves'," he deadpanned, making air quotations, "go half a foot beyond her hands."

"It's kinda fun." Astra added, flopping said sleeves for effect.

"Their hands look very different. It's wise to hide them."

"And the hat?"

"Humans don't have horns."

"True." The guard conceded the point. "Still looks awful."

"Thank you for coming with us, by the way." Astra said. "Even after you got all banged up yesterday."

The guard rubbed his head. "It's no big deal. Kinda in the job description. That reminds me, why didn't we bring more?"

"We're going for stealth." the elderly kirlia reminded him. "If we brought more, we would be more likely to be spotted."

"I suppose so." The guard didn't look convinced, but he didn't press the point. "You're here to teleport us all away if it goes wrong, right?"

The grandfather hummed in confirmation. "If at any point Astra is discovered, I will pick up on her distress call, teleport to her, and teleport us both out within a second. Then, I shall teleport the three of us back home. In such a scenario, I will probably have to sleep in for the next day or two. Teleporting is an intensive task, and three of them back to back over long distances, well, it's very difficult." Chuckling, he added "If I may brag, I believe I am one of the few capable enough to accomplish such a feat."

"Ah! You're so awesome!" Astra gushed. "I hope I can do that someday." Grinning, she levitated tens of stones from the surrounding grass and set them orbiting around her, forming patterns in the air. "This is pretty easy now, so I should be close, yeah?"

Her grandfather smiled. "Not quite. You must still practice, and you must also attain your next form. For now you are still a child, and though we are in a hurry in some things there is no need to rush will come in time."

"It's harder than it looks. I can only do it a few times per day, and not very far." the guard admitted.

"You usually skeeve off duty to grab a magikarp from the fire. Don't try to pull one over on me young man, I've sensed you flash away!" He warned. The guards mouth snapped shut. He sighed and returned his attention to the march.

Some time passed, filled with idle banter, minor acrobatics across branches, and a brief encounter with a family of zigzagoon. The sun inched across the sky.

"So… when are we getting there?" Astra asked. She hadn't traveled this direction much at all. Surely it was getting close?

"Soon. The building is on the outskirts of the town, if I remember correctly. It is there that humans acquire the ability to use their devices." The elder frowned, and continued a train of thought. "I was an adventurous youth myself. I often overheard bits of conversation near the trails in the past, though they were much smaller back then. They mentioned this place once or twice."

"I'm starting to hear noises." The guard warned, halting the group's momentum. Creeping closer at a slowed pace, they came upon a scarcity of trees leading to a large clearing, in the center of which stood a building. It was two stories tall with windows on each side and a chimney, made from wood and colored a cheery tan. On first impression, it would almost be mistaken for a cottage.

"That's… a lot of pokemon." Asta said, eyes wide. Indeed, an extraordinarily large gathering of creatures were lazing about behind and to the sides of the building. Most of them were native to the forest, but there were several extreme oddities, such as a titanic blue pokemon lounging next to a large pond containing several unknown aquatic types. Nearby, a giant steel beast she had never seen before was making a terrible racket while burrowing inside a pile of scrap metal.

The metal pokemon also appeared to be on the receiving end of a lecture by a green haired human. Astra couldn't make out what he was saying; but judging by how he held his hands over his ears, it would be about the noise. She yelped as she was yanked behind a tree.

"Be careful." Her grandfather admonished. "There are many eyes here." Peeking back around, he observed the scene for a moment more. "I believe this is the location." He paused, eyes scanning across the area. "Hm, yes. We will have to circle around a bit so you can come from that road."

Astra wrought her hands as they flitted from tree to tree. Faced with the imminent encounter, her fear was becoming rapidly apparent. What if she screwed up? If she said the wrong thing, she could be captured and sent away, wouldn't she? What if-

The guard clapped a hand on Astra's shoulder. The beaten dirt path lay in front of her, leading to the structure. "Well kid, looks like it's showtime." He grinned, but it didn't hide the nervous tone. "We're counting on you, alright? It'll be okay."

Astra let out a breath and returned the guards smile. "Thank you. I'll do my best!"

With shaky steps, she emerged from the treeline and set off down the road to the lab.

* * *

Professer Birch frowned at his paper. This whole grant thing was infuriating. How was he supposed to get anything done if his funds depended on some unimaginative hacks who never spent even a week camping in a deep forest in their life? He sighed and rubbed his temple. He hoped Joshua finished with Aggron soon. The screech of metal was giving him a migraine.

He just wanted to fund a deep woods expedition for a reasonable length of time, but no. 'There's nothing in those woods, we'd rather explore the ocean' they said. 'Such a thing could be afforded with one's own money' they thought. Excuse him if feeding his own family and maintaining the lab took up most of his funds and time. He even had decent evidence this time! A new, rare pokemon reported by a trainer he had sent out himself!

Maybe he could- a small bell disrupted his already frayed attention. Sighing, he left the matter for later and turned to see his visitor. "Hello there, is there anything I can- eh?"

He blinked. A child stood, visibly nervous at the entrance to his lab. She stood waist high and was dressed in the most bizarre clothes he had ever seen. Without a single stitch to be found, the kid seemed to be wearing a full body cloak out of a stretch of black cloth. She appeared to have even covered her head and mouth, leaving only one brilliant red eye exposed under a fringe of green hair held to the side by a red clip. She was also wearing a large sunhat made out of… woven grass? Is this what Joshua meant by hipster? Was she wearing two pairs of pants as well? He didn't know it happened this young.

"H-hello?"

She also had the weirdest _voice_ Birch had ever heard. It was super hard to describe, too. It was on the tip of his tongue. With a jolt, he realized she had been speaking to him.

"Ahaha!" he laughed, scratching the back of his head. "Sorry about that. You just startled me is all. Hello!" he greeted, giving a wave. "I'm Professor Birch, is there something I can do for you?"

The kid still looked really frazzled. Was it something he said? Probably the staring. Shoot, he felt bad now.

"I… I'd like to become a trainer?" She said, coming out more question than statement. There it was again. It was like some hitherto unnoticed element of speech was just… missing. He was getting distracted again. Focus!

"Ah! Really?" he said. "You've come to the right place, though you're rather late. My last collection of beginner pokemon have almost all been snatched up. Come in, come in!" He motioned her to follow him. "Let's get you registered. Did you bring your ID with you?"

"Er, I don't- I didn't. Is that bad?" The child slowly followed him around the room divider and sat at a table he motioned to. She fidgeted around as he raised an eyebrow.

"No, not really. It just would have made the process go a lot faster. Looks like we'll have to do it from scratch." He rummaged through his desk for the form. "It's just as well, youngsters like you usually just replace the thing with your trainer cards anyway. Exciting day, huh? I bet you've been looking forward to this for a while. Or was this a recent decision?"

"Oh," she said. "Um. We- I decided to become one just this morning."

Birch hummed. "A snap choice, then? One made for yourself or were you pushed into it?" Where did he put that- aha! He pulled out a sheet and clicked a pen.

"Er." She was still super nervous. It was almost a little funny. "It was my decision. I want to be the champion."

He swirled that thought around as he sat in front of her. "A lofty goal. You don't do things by half, do you? Most kids just end up doing the gym challenge. I'll need to jot down some basic info for your card. What's your name?"

"Astra." She perked up at the question. Hopefully her nerves had calmed down.

He smiled. "Lovely name, Astra. I'm sure you'll do great. No last name? Very well." he ticked off a box at her negative. "Age?"

She paused, squinting. "14?" She said after a moment. Why did she sound like she was asking a question? Also, what? Teenager? Wow she was super short for her age. Late bloomer or genetics? He noted down her eye and hair color while he mulled it over. Liar? There wasn't anything to gain from falsifying a trainer card. He supposed she was just short. He discarded the thought, not his business. "Step on this scale over here, Astra? I need your height and weight. Can you take off your hat?"

Astra seemed to shrink back in on herself at that. "I- I would rather not." she stammered.

He frowned. "I need to get a measurement. I can't do that with your hat in the way."

She shook her head. "Can't you get it without?" She stared at him, her red eyes pleading him to reconsider.

Odder and odder. He sighed. It rankled at him, but she was probably going to outgrow whatever he put down within a couple months or so anyway. He could just approximate upwards and be correct later. Besides, he didn't much like stressing kids out. "Very well. Can you put your hand level with where the top of your head is?"

Almost visibly relaxing, she did as he asked. "Thank you!" he said, and marked it up a sliver. Man, she was tiny! Weight was slightly higher than expected. "Almost done, stand over here for a photo. You may strike a dramatic pose with a pokeball." he allowed, which was rewarded with a smile. Success!

He tossed her a prop, which she held clutched to her side with one hand and then extended the other towards the camera flat and spread out. The effect was a bit lost with the excessively long sleeves as both hands were still covered. Astra glared at the camera in what was probably intended to be condescension but ended up an adorable pout.

He snapped the camera. "Very sinister. You like psychics?" He offhandedly asked as he maneuvered over to his PC. He paused to study the photo as the program booted up. Was her cloak billowing? "I think I've seen that pose from those shows my youngest watches." Copy the written information over, upload the picture into the form, generate the ID number then… print!

"Done!" he announced as the big printer began to churn. After a few seconds of mechanical churn, a laminated card dropped into the exit tray. Giving it a quick once over for errors, he proudly handed the ID to the young trainer. He grinned as she stared at the little card in awe. "This card can be used as a form of identification, but you will need a different ID to operate vehicles, buy alcohol or other, non-training related things when you come of age. Congratulations Astra, you have become a pokemon trainer!"

Her gaze snapped back to him. "Thank you! " She said in earnest. Ah! She was grinning again, he could tell. She almost had sparkles in her eyes. "Thank you so much! This- this really means a lot." She held the card close to her. "My grandpa will be so happy."

He scratched the back of his head and laughed. "Hey, Astra, it's no problem. It's always a joy to see kids like you getting out and exploring the world. But!" he held up a finger. "We aren't even done yet! I've still got your introduction!"

Astra tilted her head and squinted. "...eh?"

"Oho, yes! My introduction to the pokemon world! I give it to everyone who registers with me. I mean," he admitted, "I kinda legally have to, but it's pretty fun." Taking a few steps so he stood in the middle of the room, he swiveled on the spot and began.

"Welcome, to the beginning of your journey!" He announced to his audience's wide eyes. Taking out a pokeball from his pocket, he tossed it to the ground and released his Lotad. The creature let out a sharp chitter as it peered around, then settled into place by his foot. "This world is widely inhabited by creatures known as Pokemon. We humans live alongside pokemon at times as friendly playmates, and at times as cooperative workmates. And sometimes, we band together and battles others like us."

He raised a finger. "But despite our closeness," he continued, "we don't know everything there is to know about pokemon. In fact, there are many many secrets surrounding them. To unravel these secrets, I and many other professors have undertaken research for our entire lives. That is what we do."

"'But what do I do?' you may ask? Trainers serve a vital role in many different roles in our society. They can be defenders, they can be healers. They can be field researchers or explorers. Breeders and entertainers. They can even rise to the top of society and become the champion of all trainers! So the answer to your question is another question; 'What do you want to do?' The path is as open as you want it to be."

"Your journey is about to begin, but here and now you have a choice to make. Or, excuse me," he said, breaking script. "You don't. At this point I would usually offer you a choice of three starter pokemon, but I'm afraid that two of my last three were taken just a few days ago." He cast a sorrowful look at Astra, who looked a bit overwhelmed. "Apologies. If you want to come back in a week or two-"

"No! No, it's uh. It's fine. Now is fine." she said, waving her arms in the negative. Hesitantly, she continued, "You're going to just… give me one?"

He nodded. "Indeed. It'd be hard for you to get started if you had nothing of your own from the onset. Let's get to it then, over here!" Recalling his Lotad, he motioned off to the side. Astra followed him dutifully.

Striding toward the holding machine, he hit a few buttons on the panel and watched the device hiss open. "As I said, I only have one pokemon left." Grabbing the solitary pokeball from its divot, he turned to Astra and held it aloft. "Let's meet him, shall we?" he grinned and tossed it into the air.

Releasing its payload, the light resolved into a green bipedal gecko with a red underbelly and leaf like tail, also known as Treecko, the aptly named wood gecko pokemon. Treecko lazily glanced around the room before fixating on Astra. The foot long pokemon dropped to all fours and scurried over to the startled girl and climbed up her leg to rest on her back. This was received with a mild shriek of alarm.

"This is Treecko." Birch said, amused. Treecko poked his head above the beleaguered girls shoulder. Astra flinched, but when nothing came of the action, turned to look at the critter. "He is a Grass type pokemon excelling in speed. This is the only option we have at the moment. A solid pokemon even at high levels, his breed is very dependable."

Astra stared at Treecko. Treecko blinked back, then climbed over her shoulder to her front. The girl was then suddenly cradling the pokemon, who had appropriated her arms as a bed.

"I think he likes you." Birch flicked her attention to him before returning to the Treecko in her arms. (1) Ah, he recognized that look in her eye. If she didn't walk out of here with him he'd revoke his license.

Silently, he moved closer and crouched in front of Astra. Holding out the pokeball, he smiled at her startled expression. "I suppose there's no need for me to ask, but I suppose you'll take him?"

"I…" She seemed lost for words, rapidly looking from the ball to him, to the pokemon snoozing in her arms. With a minor shift, she reached out and grabbed the pokeball with her sleeved hand. "Yes. I don't- I never thought…"

"The first time is pretty heavy, yeah." he agreed. "This Treecko is in your care now. It's a big responsibility but I know you're up to the task." He gave her a smile, and received one in kind.

"Make sure to let him out at least once every day." he continued in a new lecture. "The pokeball simulates a sort of sleep/stasis environment but it isn't healthy without daily activity, and he needs to eat as well. It will automatically open if no activity is detected for a week. This goes for all future pokemon you capture. If you hold six pokemon, any additional ones will be automatically transferred into the PC system, which can hold any pokemon indefinitely and can be accessed from special computers located in pokecenters."

Astra was looking decidedly more confused now. Wincing, he rubbed his head. "Man, this explanation is long winded. Just let them out now and then, exercise and feeding frequency varies." He snapped his fingers. "Oh, just one more thing. You'll need is one of these!" With a flourish, he withdrew a shiny red card shaped device. "A pokedex is a must have tool for any up and coming trainer. It acts as a cell phone, map, camera, and payment device! It can even bring up relevant data about any pokemon you scan or capture."

Astra shifted her arms and took the pokedex. Examining it for a moment, she fiddled with it through her sleeve and flipped the cover open. A soft ding and a cool blue light emanated from the screen. "This is…" Eyes wide, she poked a button and watched in awe as menus shifted in and out of view.

Birch raised an eyebrow. It was a big occasion, yes, but the girl acted like she'd never seen a phone before. Honestly, something weird was going on here but damn if he couldn't glean the answer.

"Anyway," he interrupted the new trainers reverie. "Make sure to capture as many different pokemon as you can! A varied team is critical to success in your chosen path, and the data I can gather is valuable to the study of pokemon as a whole." He gave the girl another smile. "You have a long road ahead of you. You'll have to garner the respect of all eight gym leaders plus the Elite Four, and then best the Champion in an all out fight to become the new one."

Astra snapped the pokedex shut, determination written across her expression. "No matter what it takes, I will do it. That's a promise!"

"Well, I look forward to hearing about it." Standing back up, he motioned to the door. " Now, I believe you have a journey to start! I wish you the best of luck, Astra."

"Thank you!" Farewells said, Astra made a swift break for the exit. Birch waved as she walked into the distance.

He sighed. "Man, that was weirder than usual." he muttered to himself. "At least Joshua stopped that racket."

Stretching his arms, he wandered back to his desk and relaxed in his chair for a moment. "What was even up with her voice?" he asked to thin air. "It was sort of… clear?" He paused and ran that though through his head again. "No, not just clear. It was… a lack of echo? How would that even work? It's not like she was... "

Birch stared at the wall for a moment. Reaching across his desk, he picked up his phone and dialed a number.

 _Ring ring… ring ring… ring-_

"...?"

"Hey, Brendan!" The professor said, cheer in his tone. "How's it going? You still up in Petalburg?"

"...! ..."

"That so? Don't stay too long, you do have quite a task ahead of you. Also, I have some news! A new trainer just came in today, picked up the Treecko."

"...! …?"

"Ah, yeah. Her name is Astra. She's around your age bracket, somewhat younger. Dresses strange too. Black cloak, sunhat made of grass. Green hair, red eyes, pale skin, can't miss her. She'll probably come by Petalburg within a day or two. Though, I don't think Norman has gotten his beginner level team together yet, has he?"

"...? …"

"Shame. It's just as well. I think some on the road practice would do you three some good. Anyway, that's all I wanted to say. If you see Astra around, make sure to introduce yourself!"

"...!"

"Love you too, son. Say hi to May when you see her!"

"..."

 _Click._

Birch tapped his desk for a moment. Swiveling his chair, he turned to his PC and pulled up his visitors new profile. Astra's half masked face stared back at him.

"What sort of child are you?" he murmured. "To not only be capable of telepathy, but also replace normal speech with it entirely?" He bookmarked the page and set the link next to the others. He'd have to watch this one closely.

He turned back to his previous work. Now that Brendan was out of the house, maybe if he saved up for a couple months he actually could fund the trip himself? He hummed a small tune as he ran the numbers. He grimaced at the result. Possible, yes. Comfortable? No. Alas, progress knew no comforts. He had a good feeling about this.

* * *

The sky had begun to lose the bright blue of midday and was progressing into early afternoon as the new pokemon trainer exited the lab. She was still staring at Treecko when a voice in the forest called out to her.

"Astra!" Her grandfather motioned to her from the bushes. "Did everything go alright? Are you- oh, what's this?" he interrupted himself as she drew closer.

Treecko opened an eye and glared at the sudden interruption. "Ko."

"Um. This is." Astra halted, trying to find her words. "This is Treecko. I… own him now, I guess?"

"Oh man. You really did it!" The guard broke into a look of awe. "Amazing! What was it like in there?"

"Um." She still felt off balance. Was it supposed to be that easy? She had expected… She didn't know. "It was very white. Everything was super shiny and there were a lot of machines scattered all over the place. There was a man inside named Birch. He asked a bunch of questions and then he gave me a card and told me I was a trainer. And then he gave me Treecko and this weird thing. He called it a pokedex. Apparently it does a lot of stuff." She held up the red device for a brief examination. Their eyes passed over it, but returned to the creature in her arms.

"No difficulties then?" The old Kirlia peered at the lounging gecko. "Hello little creature. Treecko, was it?"

She let out a giggle as Treecko used one arm to fend off an experimental prod. "It was really easy, actually. I had to make up some stuff for a few questions. I didn't know how many springs had passed since I was born, so I just said a random number."

"Huh. Is that important to them? Enough to keep track, I mean. Weird." The guard leaned against a tree. "What's the point?"

"They age differently than we do. It would be possible for a newborn Ralts to become a Kirlia in under a week if they were put through high stress situations for an extended period of time. Wouldn't be very healthy, but possible." The elderly Kirlia stopped his one finger assault and glanced at the younger. "Humans are just humans their entire lives. I suspect trying to directly compare our respective levels of age would be futile. A Ralts is a child, A Kirlia is an adult. They are rather more… vague."

"Tch. That must be complicated." The guard tapped his foot, then turned his attention to Astra. "Hey, hey. You have a pokeball for him, right? Can I see it in action?"

"Oh? Sure, I guess. Let me just-" Shifting Treecko to one arm, Astra enlarged the ball the professor had given her. She paused to stare at it. "Um. I don't know how."

"Point it at him and say 'Return'." her grandfather supplied. The others stared at him. "What?"

"Did you learn that by eavesdropping too?" the guard smirked. "You seem to break a lot of your own rules, ya know? Makes a guy wonder."

"Oh shush. Youth today, no respect I swear." He grumbled.

"Return." Astra commanded. A thin red beam shot out of the ball and enveloped Treecko. He yawned and dissipated into a swirling ball of red energy which flew into the ball. The event ended with a soft click as the sphere shrunk to its lesser size. "Amazing…" she murmured, turning the pokeball around. "How does he fit in there?"

"Must be cramped." The guard concluded.

Her grandfather grunted. "Questions for another time. In case we've forgotten, we're still right next to a human road. Gather together, we're teleporting back home."

"Won't you get really tired?" Astra asked as she and the guard huddled with the old Kirlia.

He smirked. "I'll be fine. Won't have to rush it now that we're in the clear. Hold tight!" With a swirl of psychic energy the three disappeared from the area, a subdued clap of air echoing in their wake.

Over in the clearing, Joshua muttered a curse as a loud noise set off the Aggron again.

* * *

(1) Art is, once again, in my profile.


	10. Departure

Suddenly appearing within the cave she called home, Astra took a moment to reorient herself to the dim lighting. Their return was heralded with much the same reception as when they had left: nothing at all.

"Ah! We're back!" Seeing the paint on the walls, the mural on the ceiling and the fruits scattered in jars was a great relief. She was home, and everything would be okay.

"Hmfh. I didn't even get to do anything." The guard muttered. Her grandpa bonked him on the head.

"Be lucky you didn't! That this went as well as it did can only be a miracle. We'll need many more before the final task is done." The guard yelped and started a complaint, but was overridden. "Now, go gather everyone. We'll announce the plan among friends and food."

Astra tilted her head. "Everyone?"

The elderly Kirlia smiled. "Think of it as a farewell party."

"A party? Now we're talking!" the guard exclaimed, a new fire in his eyes. "I'll get right on it!" He called, already halfway outside.

Watching his departure, Astra took off her hood and fiddled. "Do you think they'll go with it?"

"Can't very well back out now." he remarked. "We've already gone partway." Wandering to his chair, he settled down with a weary sigh. "I haven't walked that far in a long time. Makes my old bones sore. Would you kindly fetch me a drink?"

Astra retrieved a cup of water for him, which he accepted gratefully. "Thank you. Now, I think that it will be quite a bit before the event gets going. Why don't you get to know your new friend better?"

Astra hesitated. "What are you going to do?"

A soft smile graced his features. "I am tired, so I think I will stay here for a bit and recover. Shoo, off with you. Leave an old Kirlia like me to his rest." He motioned her away.

Giving one last goodbye, Astra returned to her room. The candle was relit with a thought, casting the small room into a dim light, sparkling when it flickered across the shining stones. Sitting on the edge of her bed, she tossed the pokeball into the air. With the familiar discharge, Treecko was released.

Blinking, it examined the room before turning to Astra. "...ko?" he said, visibly confused. Crawling toward his master, Treecko examined her unmasked face.

"...Um." she said, unsure. What was…? Oh! He never saw me with the hood off, she reasoned. "It's just me again. My name is Astra, it's nice to meet you!" Grinning, she reached out, stroking Treecko's back.

Treecko accepted this with closed eyes and a nudge against her hand. Leaping up, he leisurely relaxed on her lap. Astra giggled at the display. His skin felt smooth and slightly cool to her touch, though there seemed to be a few bumps on the midpoint of his back. His tail twitched as she examined that as well. Both 'branches' were very thick and surprisingly tough, not giving any ground to the pressure she applied. He also appeared to have tiny needle and hook like features on his hands and feet. Was this what allowed him to climb up her robe? Fascinating.

"Tree." He muttered, staring up at her in irritation. A hot flush graced her cheeks at the unthinking extent of her sudden investigation..

"Ah!" she yelped, standing suddenly. Treecko took the sudden launch with grace, landing upright. "I'm sorry! I was just curious, please forgive me!" she fretted, placing her hands together.

Treecko continued to stare at her, before shrugging and looking elsewhere. Spotting the small Surskit doll, he went stiff as a board before crouching low. "Tree…" he muttered, before scurrying up the walls of the room. Astra watched with gleeful amusement as Treecko seemed to stalk the thing, crawling across the ceiling until it was directly above it.

Waiting a beat, Treecko lunged down with a fearsome cry, spinning at the last second and striking the doll with his tail and slapping it across the room. Following up, he dashed forwards and grabbed it fully with all limbs, flailing his prey against the hard rock in rapid spinning slams. Treecko released his catch after a few moments, apparently having been satisfied with the savage beatdown.

"Treecko!" He trilled, standing triumphant over the lifeless imitation. He turned towards his master; putting on smug, expectant airs as if to say 'Did you see that?'

Astra clapped gleefully. "Amazing! You really showed that doll, didn't you?" He really had been fast, just like the professor said. She hadn't even been able to keep up with his strikes. Or maybe it was the dim lighting? Still, her glee was well received. Maybe her task wouldn't be that hard after all.

Tapping her foot, she glanced around the room and laid eyes on the faded yellow ball. Grinning, she levitated the ball and made it hover over her hand. Also grabbing one of her chalky rocks, she made two arced lines on opposite sides of the room. Treecko watched this with wary curiosity, having discarded an investigation into his prey after the discovery that it was made of grass.

Grinning, she moved behind one of the lines. "Let's see how well you do at rebound." With that, she hurled the ball at Treecko. Reading her intentions, Treecko swirled around and smacked the ball right back with great force. "Pretty good!" She remarked, catching the ball in a shimmering square net. "I always dropped it because I couldn't keep my field coherent, but I could always bounce it harder than everyone else could. It'll be great practice for both of us. Let's have a good match, yeah?"

Treecko's eyes narrowed as he readied himself for the next assault. Astra's psychic aura flared, signaling her intents of victory. With a burst of energy, the ball was launched and the game was on.

* * *

It was a few hours later when her grandfather poked his head into the room to discover both of them completely exhausted; an empty jar of berries was the only sign they had stopped for a break at all. Treecko was lying flat on Astra's chest out cold. Astra herself was fending off the headache and mental fatigue that signified psychic overuse; mostly by lying down, holding her head and groaning.

"Having fun?" he asked, smiling at the vaguely positive whine that resulted. "I am glad to hear it, though I think you may have overworked yourself a little." Gesturing out of the room for a moment, he brought a very small container from the main area. "Here, I have brought distilled Leppa. It should help with your headache."

Astra accepted the offering with gratitude, twisting out the plug and downing a portion of the liquid within. It left a lingering spicy aftertaste, but the warmth spreading through her body and swallowing the ache between her eyes was well worth it. Sighing in relief, she sat back up and gave her grandfather a grateful smile. "I really needed that, thank you!"

He hummed in response. "It was no trouble at all. I am glad you are getting along well with Treecko. You'll have to face many challenges together soon enough." A loud, rhythmic thumping began sounding from outside. "Speaking of which, the event has started. Everybody's come together, and we will make the announcement later. But first, I believe there are several magikarp waiting for you."

Astra glanced at Treecko. The little gecko was still out of it, and returned to his ball with nary a peep. Giving a stretch, the trainer gave a loud whoop and raced outside.

True to his word, most if not all of the villagers had congregated in the center of the settlement. The sun hung on the edge of the sky, dim reds and oranges giving way to serene purples glowing through the branches. Alongside the main bonfire, several minor fires were scattered about, infusing the area with heat and light.

A few arenas were set up here and there between the fires as well, impromptu games played within. She paused for a moment to witness two Kirlia face off in a game of rebound similar to the one she had just done with Treecko, except it had six balls all rapidly bouncing in erratic patterns between the two combatants. She was still tired from her own bout, so she passed on examining it further.

Grabbing a thoroughly roasted fish, Astra spotted a lively display some distance off. A Kirlia stood next to a roaring blaze pit, manipulating burning fuel, several special rocks and a few psychic barriers to produce fantastic displays of light. A fire theater was a rare sight indeed, and the performer looked to be debuting an act she hadn't seen yet!

She settled in amongst other Ralts, who were giving a wide berth to the fiery artist. She seemed to be in the middle of the story. Crude images borne of flame, stone and spark told of a panic infusing the village. Several of them seemed to argue amongst themselves, and their actions increased in ferocity quickly. Infighting? But then two figures arose, taller than the others, and held their hands out for calm.

The Kirlia shifted in the shadows and tossed something into the scene. One of the two images reached into the flame below in time with this and pulled out a shocking oddity: a stone covered in purple flames. Astra voiced her awe alongside the Ralts watching with her, but couldn't help but feel a sense of uneasy familiarity.

The smaller figures seemed to become excited at the sight of the new item, giving praise unto the duo. The scene shifted slightly, making the duo larger. The left one was slightly shorter, and held the stone in her hand; the right one held a spear, and both had the others hands clasped in their free ones.

The flames dissolved and reformed, painting a new tapestry of forest and brush. Symbolizing trees with fire always struck Astra as a little silly, but she couldn't deny that the Kirlia had a way with the art. The two tall figures entered the scene, and a moment was spared to depict the effort of journey. Then they were set upon by devilish caricatures of Poochyena, the hellish light and admittedly minimalistic fighting that broke out reminded Astra very much of her awful encounter a few nights ago.

She shivered despite the warmth. She could almost hear the growling of the dogs as they rushed at the figures. The battle reached a fever pitch soon afterwards, and the two figures rose victorious amongst the pack. Then from the flame strode a monstrously large hound, sparks falling from it's maw like spit and eyes raked with furious coals.

The male readied his spear, the female clutched the stone to her horn and recognition finally snapped into place, followed shortly by a hollow, bitter resentment. [1] The magikarp in Astra's mouth suddenly tasted of ash. Standing, she discarded what was left of the fish and walked away. She didn't need to see the rest; she already knew how this one ended.

She sat on a stump near one of the fires at the edge of the celebration furthest from the performance, melancholy streaking her thoughts. Not a few moments in and she was already in a foul mood, even though this was her party, in a way. Why…? She stared at the fire, searching for answers that did not come in the flickering light. Glancing back at the crowds, her gaze was drawn to those Kirla in pairs, many of them accompanied by a varying number of Ralts. One was perched atop their parents shoulders, laughing audibly and waving their arms around. She turned away, trying to ignore the ugly flash of envy.

The fire was warm. If she closed her eyes, she could almost imagine a pair of strong arms, wrapping themselves around her. A voice, soft and flowing like the wind, would be muttering nothing at all, and the crackle of a deeper one would answer in return.

A ping shattered the illusion, startlement jerking her halfway off the stump. The warm arms and soothing voices were replaced by sparking fire and empty air. Turning, she noticed that a Kirlia had taken a seat next to her. The old burn marks scattered around her coat marked her as the performer from earlier. Was the theater over?

"Hey," she started, leaning towards the pit. "I noticed you ran off near the end there. Came over to see how you were doing. Was it too scary, or…?" The question trailed off into silence.

Astra stared at her. Did she not…? "No." she said, turning back to the fire. "I wasn't scared off."

"Ah, that's good, at least." A small shift, and the fire suddenly shimmered; the smoke starting to spiral in serene swirls. "So, could I badger you for your thoughts? Spent a long time on that routine, ya know. Took me forever to figure out how to make purple fire. Why'd you leave?"

"Why did you have to make it about them?" she blurted out, digging her hands into the stump. "Why did you have to- why here? Why now? This was supposed to be a happy party! My party! And you just- just- " With a frustrated, strangled sound, Astra flared her psychic power. The arrangement of wood inside the fire pit was leveled with a vicious crack, showering the air with sparks.

She stared at the dying fire in a moment of shock, before curling up on the stump. She hadn't meant to lose her temper. She just... A sigh redirected her attention to her guest. With a minor purple glow, the shattered remains were neatly rearranged, the Kirlia birthing the fire anew.

"I'm sorry." Astra mumbled, staring at a piece of dirt.

"It's alright," the artist replied, "I suppose it's partially on me." Astra peeked at her, and saw her looking right back, a strange expression on her face. "You're her daughter, aren't you? Their kid."

Astra turned away. This was all the answer her guest needed. She hummed. "Well. I can't say I'm sorry for performing the routine." she said, absentmindedly shaping the sparks into various patterns again. "They were heroes. I thought their story should be told."

"What good is that?" Astra muttered. "I don't want a story. I want _them_. I want _that_ " she motioned at the varied couples. "It's not- it's not _fair_." She thought she should be crying, but there was nothing to remember; nothing to mourn with. Just a hollow space that would never be filled.

"I know it's not fair, and I know what it's like to want people you've lost back." The Kirlia sniffed in disapproval. "But I wouldn't diss stories so fast. Sure, you can't meet them in person, but that doesn't mean you can't get to know them."

"Eh?" Astra turned to face her fully. "What do you mean by that?"

The artist scratched her cheek. "Well, it's not super complicated. Stories tell us what people did and how they acted, what words they said and how their actions and beliefs affected the world around them. By knowing a person's story, you also get to know the person, in a way." She smirked. "For instance, I happen to have had a passing acquaintanceship with your mother. Got a few things to say about that. Are you sure you don't want them?" she teased.

"What!? You knew my mom?" Astra exclaimed, instantly hopping to her feet. She took a quick step over and bowed to the Kirlia. "I'm sorry for skipping the end, please tell me more!"

"Woah there, easy!" she said with a chuckle. "Such a sudden change in attitude. Has nobody ever talked about her or something?"

Astra wringed her hands in embarrassment. "Grandpa didn't talk about her a lot, no. I don't know anyone who knew her either. I never even really thought much about them until recently. It's been… I dunno. A few things are happening and your performance and then the party… it kinda threw it in my face." She threw a glance toward the crowd, then turned back to the artist. "I mean, I've always had grandpa, but… it's different."

"Eh, I can understand that, I guess. I suppose I could tell you a few things, then." The Kirlia turned to gaze wistfully into the fire. "I guess… your mom was a lot of things. She was one of the only two Gardevoir we had for a long time. She was very pretty, talented with her psychic ability. Determined as well as motivated. Once she set a goal, she never gave up until she achieved it. She was also very energetic, outgoing, and the most extraordinarily smug bitch I've ever had the displeasure to meet."

Astra blanched.

The fire shaper burst out laughing. "Oh fuck." she wheezed. "The look on your _face_ -" she pulled her arms around herself and almost collapsed onto the dirt, the sound of giggling only interrupted by the occasional gasp for air.

"What was that!?" Astra screeched. "You can't say all these nice things then insult her!"

"Haha! Of course I can! Like it or not, nobody exists without flaws. All those things I said before could be negative as well! Too powerful for her own good, stubborn, and liked the sound of her own voice much more than I did." The Kirlia waved Astra's indignant retort off before it formed.

"Ah, let me explain. She was something of a genius, you see; able to grasp and perform high level psychic things in a quarter of the time the rest of us did. But it was the worst type of genius; the one where she couldn't really explain how she did it, nor comprehend why everyone else wasn't as good as her." The artist hopped off the stump and leaned back against it from the ground instead, gazing at the stars above. "I remember she used to get so frustrated with the rest of us because we couldn't figure out how to teleport. She just kept doing demonstrations over and over again because she could not for the life of her put her method into words. She always looked at us with this damn pitiful gaze, oh how irritating she was."

She examined her hand, exotic energy wafting off it. "But I will give her some credit; even if she did think of the rest of us as incompetent, often vocally, she never stopped trying to help. Even if we probably would have been better off without the giant, loudmouth distraction she was. It was really no surprise that she was able to pass the old hag's trial."

Initially fuming at the negative portrayal, Astra perked up at the faint praise and asked, "Old hag? What trial?"

"Ah, the Ancestor. She was before your time, so you wouldn't know. She protected the village before she vanished, but she was a mean old fart so we called her a hag. As for the trial, see, in order to become a gardevoir you have to experience a lot of things, stress most of all." she smiled, thinking back to other days. "Our life back then was more… idyllic than right now. There really wasn't any way to naturally become that elusive third stage. Except, if you really wanted to, you could go see the Ancestor and she'd put you through the trial. If you stuck with it you were virtually guaranteed to become a gardevoir."

"Oh! That sounds amazing! Why didn't more Kirlia do it? Was it hard?"

"Weren't you listening? The fastest way to evolve is to undergo a lot of stress. The trial was- ugh." The fire shaper made a face. "I won't go into it. She basically forced a lot of stress on you for a long time. Either you evolved or you called it off. I only lasted two days before I couldn't take it anymore; I didn't need that sort of power to be a smith. For me it wasn't worth the hassle, but your mom thought it was; though I have no idea why." She shrugged. "One month later she was a gardevoir. For a few weeks afterwards she had nightmares, couldn't look anyone in the eye, hoarded food and generally acted like a paranoid recluse. Jumped at the slightest noise. She got back to normal eventually, though I think your dad helped a lot with that. Never saw the two of them apart for more than ten minutes in those days."

"That sounds… harsh." Astra felt a little uneasy at the aftereffects. For a brief moment, she imagined all sorts of nasty things that could have happened. Horrid illusions, no food, little sleep... she focused on something else. "Did you know my dad too?"

"Hm? No, I don't know anything about your dad, but I would put a month of magikarp that he became a gardevoir just having to deal with your mom. Haha!" She glanced over and grimaced at Astra's expression. "Ah, I shouldn't joke about that, sorry. He went through the trial at some point too. There was a big ceremony at both of their evolutions. They really cared about each other. And about you, I suppose."

"E-eh?" Astra stammered. "They talked about me?"

"Oh, she could not go half a day without spouting off about you. She carried your egg around everywhere she went and at the slightest provocation would start yammering and yammering for hours about it, even after the old hag vanished. It was ridiculous and annoying and kinda adorable." She sighed. "And then the protections left by the Ancestor started to fade, and, well. She left your egg to your... grandfather, was it? She went off to save the village. She succeeded. And then she died."

"Ah..." Astra looked into the fire again. The blunt reminder that she was never going to meet them stung once more. But, as she imagined their voices and faces, maybe not as much as before. The voice she imagined in the wind turned peculiarly loud, and in the faint recesses of her mind, she could almost hear a melody.

She didn't even realize she was humming until the Kirlia asked her, "Where did you hear that?"

"Eh?" She blushed. "I didn't even know I was- sorry. I don't know. It just… came to mind."

"Hm-." The Kirlia eyed her. "It's funny. When she was carting your egg around, she used to hum those same few notes."

Her breath caught in her throat and her sight was suddenly starting to get blurry, but all she could feel was a lingering warmth that had nothing to do with the fire.

"Th- thank you." Astra managed, rubbing her eyes. "For telling me about her."

She grinned. "It's no problem. If you ever need anything, be sure to ask, okay?"

"Mmm." They sat in silence for a while, before a thought struck. "Hey, if you were… going on a long trip, what would you take with you?"

The Kirlia raised an eyebrow. "That's a weird question. We can't exactly leave the village, ya know. What, are you going somewhere?"

"I'm just asking!" Astra said, more defensively than she would have liked.

"Right." She thought about it. "Probably a good, strong knife. Useful for scaling fish, cutting plants, self defence in a pinch. All sorts of things."

Astra pondered this. "You said you were a smith?"

"Hm? What, do you think all these burn marks are from storytime? Yeah, I'm the only one in this place who knows how to shape metal, same as my dad, and his dad, and his mom, and so on. Not that there's much metal here, but I can turn the odd salvage into useful things. Why?"

"Could you make me a knife?" she asked.

"Aaah, for what reason would you need a knife? Are you actually leaving? That's dumb." The Kirlia kept one eye on her, then closed them and shrugged. "Eh, if you're doing something reckless, that's your problem I guess. I can't stop you. But I suppose I'd feel bad if I didn't do anything. So sure, but I've already used all my metal. Unless you have some scrap laying around, I can't do anything."

"What about-" Astra hesitated, reconsidering her request, before soldiering on. "What about an old spearhead?"

The smith grunted. "That'll do. You have it with you? I could probably just make it right now if you want to make a show of it."

"Aah, Really? That sounds cool!" Astra grinned, hopping off the stump. "I'll go get it." She said, sprinting back to the cave.

Her grandfather had disappeared from the main cavern. Astra went into her room and picked up the old spearhead laying on the table. It was the same as it ever was; a few patches of rust, a nick here and a scratch there.

" _It was your Father's."_ her grandpa had said. " _This was the head of the spear he used in his last fight."_

" _Was he a guard?"_ she had asked.

" _He was the best guard I ever knew. He was a gardevoir, and the very name bears resemblance to 'guardian', does it not? He was able to dismantle an entire pack of poochyena singlehandedly. He never lost his focus, nor his composure. He also made the worst jokes, and enjoyed seeing others laugh. He was particularly fond of wordplay; I remember many times where he made a seemingly innocuous comment and then got swatted about the head by your mother."_

He smiled, his expression old and brittle. " _I miss him terribly, and I know that he would want you to have this. A memento and promise. He fought to protect you, to protect us all, and he will watch over you from wherever he is."_

He dropped it into her hand, and closed his fingers around hers. " _Keep it safe, and it will do the same for you in return."_

She left the cave, holding the old weapon close to her Kirlia was still sitting where she had been, staring into the fire.

"I have it." she said, holding the item out.

"Mm? Ah, alright then. Let me have a look." Levitating the spearhead out of Astra's hand, the fire shaper examined the rusted tool. "Yeah, it's a bit rusty, but it should be enough for a nice knife."

She rose from the stump and stretched. "Alright then, gotta keep the soot out… uneven temperatures… ah, a challenge." she muttered with a grin, flexing her hands. "Watch closely, kid. I don't get to do this often." She hovered the rusted mass over the fire pit and made a face. Astra watched the spearhead with great anticipation, but became confused when nothing happened.

"Um-" she started, but suddenly became aware of a high pitched noise, as if a bird's screech was paused in time. WIth wide eyes, she saw the arrowhead start to vibrate intensely, cutting through the air and making a steadily rising whine. The fire from the pit was being redirected, swirling around the item in a vicious torrent. Astra vaguely noted everyone nearby covering their ears, observing the spectacle. The Kirlia was beginning to sweat, letting out a constant stream of heavy breathing.

The arrowhead suddenly became a shade of dull red, which quickly morphed into a sharp, bright crimson. Orange, yellow, white- and then it collapsed in on itself, forming a ball of unshaped molten steel. Astra uncovered her ears as the noise stopped, awestruck at the display.

The smith gasped for air. "That's the hard bit." she ground out. "Time to purify and shape it." The ball stretched itself out into a flat sheet, then crumpled back together. It did this a couple more times, each contraction ejecting unknown dregs into the pit below. 'The rust?' Astra wondered. After three repetitions, the metal was brought back together into a rough, thin brick shape.

Then, very slowly, the Kirlia manipulated the brick to fit a mental pattern. A flat piece for the handle was carved out, followed by the blade itself. Small blobs of metal rolled to and fro as one side was compressed into an edge, lengthening the tool. The smith grunted as her work was completed, and carefully levitated it out of the searing pit. With a twist of her wrist, the metal rapidly reverse shifted in color, from the molten white back to orange, red, and finally a shiny grey.

The knife fell into the smiths hand fully formed. She then collapsed to her knee, panting and clearly exhausted. "Well," she said, looking at Astra once more. "I hope you enjoyed that. It's really hard, ya know?"

Astra's reply was drowned out by a sudden applause. Looking around, she suddenly became aware that a group of people had congregated around the scene; all of them quite amazed. Astra grinned and joined in, clapping her hands. "It was amazing!" she cheered.

The smith smirked. "You know it!" she crowed, staggering to her feet and taking a theatrical bow to the onlookers. "Okay, okay! Off with all of you! Show's over!" she said, waving them off. With a few last cheers, the gathered crowd dispersed. The Kirlia sat back on the stump with a huff, examining the knife she had made.

"Ah, can I see?" Astra asked, suddenly right next to the drained smith.

"Sure, it is yours, after all." Flipping it so the blade was in her palm, she extended the handle to it's rightful owner.

"So cool!" Astra breathed, investigating her reforged memento. The knife's shape was rather basic, but there appeared to be decorative silver swirls embedded into the steel, giving it a hypnotic appearance. "How did you make it look like that?" she asked, turning back to the artist. "The spear head was just grey!"

"Ah ah, that's a secret." The smith winked. "I'll pass that down to my kids, when I get around to that. It's just cosmetic though; the really neat bit is the edge. Can I have that back for a second? Thanks." Plucking a blade of grass from the forest floor, she held the knife edge up. "Watch carefully!"

Astra gasped as the single piece of grass floated onto the edge and divided with nary a movement. "That's amazing! I didn't know things could get that sharp!"

"Haha, well. I'm glad you like it. It'll last you for a long time, even more if you treat it right. Take care of it, you hear me?" She flipped the knife over again and handed it back. "It'd be more comfortable with a proper handle, but you can just wrap some grass weave around it for now."

With that, she got to her feet and stretched her arms out, making a cracking noise as she twisted her spine. "Ahh, sweet relief. Anyway, I'm beat. I'm going to go see if they brought out the fermented stuff yet, maybe get hammered." She winked, then turned and started walking. "When you turn into a Kirlia, come see me. We'll share a drink!"

Astra stuck her tongue out. "Fermented drinks are nasty!"

"Haha, we'll see! Later kid!"

Sending her own farewell, Astra watched the Kirlia gradually vanish in the throng. She lingered at the fire for a small time, pulling up blades of grass and sprinkling them on her knife, watching them cut themselves on their own weight. She admired it a moment more before turning her attention skyward. The moon was large and full, casting its light where the fire did not reach. "I wonder what you would say, if you saw this. Would you like it? I think you might have." she mused to empty air.

"I believe he would." A voice said, then laughed at Astra's startled shriek. She twisted around, finding her grandfather holding a hand over his mouth and grinning gently.

"What was that for!?" she said, glaring.

"Ah, can an old bag like me not have fun?" he gave a mock gasp. "How presumptuous of me. I should go and sit with all the elders and talk about berries through the night then."

Astra pouted. "You're supposed to warn people before you sneak up on them!"

"So you are!" he chirped, smiling at her exasperated groan. "I see you've picked up a new tool. Or perhaps, an old one made anew?"

"Oh, ah…"

"It's quite alright. It used to be his old spearhead, yes?"

"Y-yeah… I didn't know where else to get it and-"

He patted on her head, gently smiling. "You do not have to justify yourself to me. He wasn't one much for sentimentality, at least in objects. He would approve of this. May I?" At Astra's hesitant nod, he picked up the tool for a moment, examined it, and returned it a second later. "She does good work, much like her predecessor. The artistry is new, though."

"Yeah." Astra nodded. "She knew a lot about my mom too. Why have I never met her before?"

Her grandpa shrugged. "I am not acquainted with her; it could simply be that the places you two frequent do not overlap. In any case, have you enjoyed the party? The time has almost come."

Astra glanced back at the reshaped bonfire for a moment. "I learned a lot, but I didn't really get to do anything. I had some carp and saw half of her theater. The forging was super cool though!"

"Really? Not even the shadow dance? You love the shadow dance!" At her negative, he grumbled. "Perhaps afterward. We should prepare for the announcement. I've forewarned the other elders in advance to head off conflict." With a grin and a flash of light, he summoned a stiff plant fiber pack to his hand. "I've also acquired a bag for you. Just in time as well, you seem to be acquiring a great many things as of late."

"It's almost like I'm going somewhere." Astra gave a cheeky grin at her grandfather's chortle.

"That you are! Now, I want you to go retrieve Treecko, then meet me by the stage next to the grand bonfire. We'll begin afterwards."

Astra took the bag, nodding. "I'll be right back!" she said, storing her knife in a convenient loop.

Hurrying back to the cave for the last time, she retrieved both Treecko's pokeball and the empty one, along with the mysterious Pokedex. Stuffing both into her new bag, she dashed back outside as a general psychic ping resonated through the camp. Weaving through the gathering crowds, she made it to the stage with time to spare. She spotted her grandfather communicating with another elderly Kirlia as she approached.

They were talking privately, so she could not overhear them. "I'm here!" she announced, alerting them to her presence. Her grandfather broke off the conversation with his companion with a silent glare, then turned to her with a grin.

"Good, good, we can begin-" he said, but was cut off by the other Kirlia. She was old as he, though perhaps not quite as much, and her face seemed set into a perpetual scowl. She had the same drooping coat and wrinkled face all elders did, though her hair had not yet lost its emerald hue.

"Hmfh!" she snorted, eyeing her. "So you are the one? Ridiculous. Even if I were to condone this action, we should send a Kirlia. Not some brat, no matter who her parents are. She is a _child_ ; have you no shame in sending her into such danger?" she said, turning back to her grandfather and not letting Astra get a word in.

Her grandfather sighed in exasperation. "I keep telling you, Astra has already proven herself by traversing a city and helping defeat a pack of poochyena. She is the one who fooled the Professor!"

"And there you go again with this 'Astra' business! Since when did we need names? It's ridiculous; are psychic signatures not good enough?"

"Enough!" He snarled. "We have been arguing in circles for the entire night! I will hear no more of your objections. You were outvoted, so the plan is going through."

"Still, the _stone_!? I must still protest that! Even if-"

"The argument is over!" he said, swiping his hand between them. "I must speak to my granddaughter. Let us be."

"Tch." The crone glared at her grandfather. Turning to Astra, she said, "Our village is relying on you, so don't do anything foolish." She stared at her for a moment, then shook her head and muttered as she walked away. "This asinine plan will get us all captured or worse, I swear."

Astra had been speechless for the entire exchange. It was the first time someone had openly derided her in such a crass manner. "What is her deal!?" she exploded. "I did all that stuff and she just goes and treats it like nothing?"

"I don't much care for her either." her grandfather admitted. "Even when our decisions align, she makes it difficult to agree. Not to mention her… distasteful opinions." He frowned. "In any case," he continued, "Let us begin. Have you gotten all of your things?"

Astra glared at the retreating Kirlia for a few moments more before she let out a sigh. "Yeah. The pokeballs, the pokedex, my knife, it's all here. What do I do?"

"You will be demonstrating your friend on my mark, nothing more. I myself will be explaining the plan and what comes next." He glanced at the full crowd. "No more time. We have to go."

Following dutifully, Astra climbed the steps to the podium after her grandfather. Upon reaching the plateau, the reflexively shied away from the sheer number of eyes suddenly upon her. She hadn't really comprehended the scope of how many people existed in her community, having always been in the crowd during the few times an assembly was called, but there were clearly over several hundred in the crowd. Maybe even a thousand?

"Silence!" her grandfather boomed, quieting the general murmurs of the gathering. "We have gathered here today for a very unusual announcement. But first, a bit of recollection is in order. Now, as you know, our dear Ancestor vanished from our community many seasons ago." With that announcement, a general unease set into the gathered pokemon, whispers coming from every direction. Attention now mostly off her, Astra felt rather more comfortable in front of the crowd. Maybe she could get used to this.

"This," he continued, "Has lead to the slow deterioration of the protections she let behind. Every misdirecting barrier fell long ago, and with them the deflection of the wild Poochyena which lie outside our territory. Which led to-" His breath caught for a moment, but he pressed on, "Which led to my son and his wife sacrificing themselves to destroy the Alpha Mightyena before it could lay waste to our people. As of now, we have no Gardevoirs, minimal defences, and failing obstructions to the humans outside." The whispers in the crowd turned fearful. Astra worriedly noted the undercurrent of despair emanating through the crowd.

He held up a hand to quell the noise. "Yesterday afternoon," he said, gazing at the crowd intently, "My granddaughter traveled into human territory, and infiltrated deep into the the city to the north." Astra gulped as the entire congregation was suddenly concentrated on her. It wasn't quite as bad as the first time, but after a moment she averted her eyes from the staring masses and focused on her grandfather.

"She went among them undetected, and learned that they had begun to expand their holdings even beyond the massive areas they already held. Among the almost unbelievable report of travel to the moon itself, we now know that they will eventually expand into the forest once more. It is clear to us that discovery is no longer a matter of 'if', but 'when'."

"What!?" " The moon? No way." "Here?" "How will we stop them?" "Those damn bastards!" "Where will we go?" "I'm not living my life in a damn ball!" "This is a trick, right? Some cruel prank?" "No no no no…" The crowd erupted into panicked jitters, accusations and general mayhem.

"Quiet!" Gramps ordered. "I said QUIET!" He blasted out a psychic siren, forcing everyone to shield their minds from the onslaught for a moment. Astra noted that only the Kirlia had been effected; the Ralts were looking confused, prodding at their parents as they recovered.

"I am sure many of you are worried at these declarations," he said as order was restored. "And I can assure you that we have found a solution to weather the oncoming storm. Shortly after I received this news, my granddaughter suggested to me an audacious plan. One that could solve our problem for good!"

"With no time to waste, we set out to enact stage one of this plan immediately. Traveling far to the east, we infiltrated the very origins of the trainers, and deceived them soundly! And thus, for the first time in history, we are not merely pokemon! We are equals!"

Astra shook jumped as she received a psychic nudge. Looking over, she saw her grandpa nodding at her. Gulping she stepped forward and grabbed her pokeball.

"I present to you my granddaughter, Astra the Trainer!" Her cue struck, Astra tossed the pokeball high into the air, where it opened with its buzzing energy. The lightning resolved into the form of her Treecko. Gasps and murmurs shot through the crowd as Treecko blinked back at the crowd.

"She has a pokeball!" "What is that creature?" "It's cute!" "Does she control it?" "What does this mean?"

"As you can see, we have stolen the humans' ability for ourselves!" her grandfather continued as Treecko scampered back to his master, choosing this time to lay between the horns on her head. There was a few bits of laughter in the crowd as she stumbled under the sudden, awkward weight. "Through cunning disguises and masterful deception, Astra infiltrated a Professor's lab and obtained this right."

"Our plan is this: come tomorrow morning my granddaughter will travel into the human world and obtain the title of Champion. This will allow her to extend great influence of all the humans of this land! With this control, she will ban the humans from interfering with our lives! No longer will we have to hide! No longer must we live in fear of discovery!" He shouted, raising his hands to to the sky. "Let us celebrate, my dear friends! For soon, we shall be free!"

The crowd cheered in response, a deafening mass approval coursing straight into Astra. She stared, awed by this display of approval. She trembled for a bit, before striking her own fist in the air, pokeball glimmering in the firelight.

"They'll never know what hit them!" She shouted, and the cacophony redoubled in response. She basked in the feeling, an entire crowd pouring their belief into her. For a moment, she almost felt like she was going to float away... Her grandfather knelt down and patted her shoulder, knocking her out of her reverie.

"Seems there was nothing to worry about, hm?" he said. Astra stared at him, then broke into a smile which he returned. Standing back up, he returned his attention to the crowd. "Settle down, settle down!", he called, waiting until the last of the praise fell away. "Today is going to be our last day for overt actions like this for a long while. Starting tomorrow, we must begin to prepare for inevitable discovery by the wider world. So, with hope in your hearts and life in your souls, enjoy the night!"

Giving one last cheer, the gathered peoples began to disperse back to their activities. A few Kirlia stayed behind, looking less enthused and clearly waiting to bombard Gramps with questions. More notable to Astra was the rather large group of Ralts attempting to crowd the stage.

"You're going to be a trainer?" "Can I see your pokemon?" "How did you sneak through a city?" "Did you see a human? Tell me what they were like!" They all shouted, each trying to be heard over the others. Astra rubbed the back of her head, chuckling nervously.

Her grandfather smiled at this and gave her a small nudge forward. "Go talk to your friends. I don't think you've spent any time at all with them for a while now."

"I've been busy." She agreed. Still, the negative looks on the adults made her hesitate. "Those Kirlia look kinda mad. Will you be ok?"

"I am sure they just have a few reasonable worries about the plan. Don't worry so much," he chided. "I am not some fragile leaf quite yet. Go enjoy yourself."

"Alright then. I'll see you later!" she waved and took off; only to immediately go off balance and fall on her face. Recovering, she rubbed her face as laughter erupted among the Ralts below.

"Treecko." her companion said, poking his head out from atop her scalp.

"Okay! Off with you." Astra commanded, picking Treecko off her head. A moment of arranging later, he was relaxing in the crook of her arm, resting his head on her shoulder. "So lazy," she muttered, poking his snout.

"Tree."

She finally walked off the platform and was assaulted on all sides by her curious friends. Question after question assailed her, garbled into meaningless noise by sheer quantity. She even had to swat a couple prying hands reaching for her pokemon.

"Hey! HEY!" she shouted, annoyed. "One at a time! I can't even understand you. And stop with the hands!" She shot a look at a particularly grabby Ralts, who shied away.

"Since when did you get a name?" asked a different Ralts. "None of us have names!"

"Oh." Astra was surprised. She was almost sure the first question would be about Treecko or humans. Well, maybe it was about the latter, kind of. "Humans all have personal names because they can't talk like we do. So I guess they need other ways to grab attention?"

"Oh." "That's so sad! How do they share emotions?" "I want a name!" "Oh, yeah! If she gets one I want one too!" Their chittering grew excited as everyone latched onto the concept.

"Well, My grandpa gave me mine. Maybe your parents could help there?" Astra suggested.

"Nah, my parents are lame. I'll name myself! I'll be… Starsurge!" the newly proclaimed Starsurge announced.

"Wah! So cool!" one of the onlookers exclaimed.

"Ooh, Me next! I'll be… ah… Pyre!" said an excitable Ralts. He was bouncing off both feet, looking like hatching season had come early. "They're super hot, you know!"

"I wanna be Acorn!" Said a smaller girl.

Starsurge shot Acorn a look. "What? That's lame!"

"I like acorns!" Acorn pouted. "They taste good."

"I think it's nice." Astra offered.

The other Ralts were still brainstorming or looked disinterested in the exercise. "Can I see your pokemon?" one asked, attempting to edge through the crowd for a closer look. "I don't think I've ever seen anything like that in the forest."

""Ah? Yeah, I don't think he's from around here. I got him from the professor." she explained, shifting around so they could get a better look.

Treecko opened one eye in an annoyed glare. "Ko."

"The professor? Was that the human who makes trainers?"

"Yeah. He was nice. He just had me answer a few questions and took a picture."

The Ralts looked confused. "What's a picture?"

"It's like…" Astra frowned and stared at the canopy above. It was like… "Oh! It was like when you look in some water and see yourself, except the image is frozen and on paper." Reaching back, she took her Trainer ID out of her bag and showed it to everyone. They all let out an 'ooooh.' as they saw the image frozen on the card.

"That's amazing!" Pyre said. "You look really silly though. Whats with the black stuff?"

"I had to disguise myself to not immediately get captured." she explained, taking the card back. "I had to get a crash course in illusions to pull this off. It wasn't super hard. When I talked to the professor I just let his own preconceptions do the job for me."

"I see."

"Hey," Starsurge butted in, "Can your pokemon do any tricks?"

"Yeah, I wanna see a trick!" Acorn shouted, a happy gleam in her eyes. Most of the Ralts had backed off a bit to listen in without intruding, but they all came in close at the suggestion.

"Ahh, well! I don't know!" Astra shrugged. "I just met him this morning. I guess we could try. What do you suggest?"

"I want an acorn!" said Acorn, pointing up into the trees. Astra followed her finger and spotted a particularly large nut hanging from an upper branch.

"I think he could do that, yeah." Shifting around, she put Treecko on the ground, much to his annoyance. "Hey," she said catching his full attention. "Can you go get that acorn up there, please?"

Treecko huffed, then took a moment to observe the designated tree. After a moment, he shrugged.

"Ko."

WIth that, he shot off, reaching the base of the tree in only a few moments. Treecko scurried up the bark into the canopy above in the blink of an eye. Dashing across the branches, he arrived at the designated nut only fifteen seconds after he started. Snapping the acorn from its stem, Treecko dropped from the trees and landed with nary a sound right where he had started, to thunderous acclaim.

"Treecko!" he said, presenting the acorn. Astra plucked it from his hands and stroked him along the back, grinning.

"Good job, Treecko!"

"That was amazing!" Acorn exclaimed. "He was so fast! I don't think I've ever seen anything move like that!"

"He was pretty good at rebound too. Here's the acorn." Astra added, handing it to the same named Ralts.

"Good at rebound, huh?" Starsurge wondered aloud, "A non psychic? I've gotta see this."

"Well then!" Astra grinned at her pokemon. "You up for another round?"

A dangerous gleam entered Treeckos eye. "Treecko. Tree!"

Astra laughed. "Let's show them what we can do!"

"I think there's an empty field that way. Follow me!" Pyre dashed off, and all the Ralts followed in kind.

And so the party continued into the night. Delicious foods were eaten, artistic displays were appreciated, competitions were held and for one night all was well. The fires burned low and were extinguished, and Astra returned home, a sleepy Treecko in tow.

Her grandfather was waiting inside the cave, staring thoughtfully at a somewhat ornate box on the table. Setting her backpack near the door, Astra called out a greeting.

"Hm?" her grandfather started, then relaxed. "Ah, you are back. Did you enjoy yourself?"

"Yeah, everything was great!" she confirmed. "Everyone really liked Treecko." She hadn't had that much fun a long time. Treecko hadn't been a half bad partner for rebound, even with him not being psychic. Becoming the center of so much attention wherever she went wasn't unpleasant either. Her mood dampened when he didn't quite match his expression with her own.

"I am glad. Come, sit down. There is one last issue to discuss before the day of your departure comes." He motioned to a stone chair next to him, but then reconsidered. "Ah, first go put your friend to bed."

Astra laid Treecko to rest in her room, then sat next to her grandfather. "What's in the box?" she asked.

He made a humming noise. "That is what I wish to speak to you about. It… hm. How should I put this…" he muttered. "I suppose I'll start with the origin."

"Eh? Origin of what?"

"The artifact within the box, of course." he let out a sigh. "It is a very powerful item. It was left behind by the Ancestor when she vanished; the circumstances of which were always very odd. She had always been a secretive sort, but in the weeks before, she had started spending increasingly large amounts of time in solitude. And then one day, she simply walked into her home and never left. I believe it was your father who discovered that she had disappeared. The only thing that remained was an orb."

"An orb? Wait, _that_ orb?" Astra's expression turned from curious to shocked in an instant.

"Yes." Reaching to the chest, her grandfather meticulously unlocked the mechanism holding it closed. Reaching inside, he pulled out a spherical object heavily wrapped in brown cloth. It seemed to glow darkly, even through the material.

"This is the object she had left behind. We have no idea what it is precisely, but your parents both investigated it and discovered that it had the potential to transfer an incredible amount of energy into whomever used it. It was certainly left behind by the Ancestor, but we still don't know why she left. Was she dying and wished to leave us a method to protect ourselves? I am unsure."

"I do not trust this thing." he said, beginning to unwrap it. "But as it was in the first instance of its use, we may not have the luxury of caution." The last piece of cloth fell away, leaving the artifact. It was about the size of an apple, and perfectly smooth. It was colored like a deep moonless sky; Black and shot through with streaks of throbbing purple veins shaped in a peculiar pattern, akin to a spiraling ladder that tapered off to a point on both ends. What was more alarming was the rather large looking crack that streaked across its surface.

"This is…" she muttered, staring into the sphere. "This is the thing my mom used, isn't it?"

He nodded. "I am afraid so. The Alpha Mightyena was a true freak of nature, thrice as large as any of it's kind ought to be. Coupled with its immunity to our psychic abilities, they had no choice to bring its power to bear. There were no direct witnesses to the fight itself, but we could clearly feel the conclusion even from here. We've theorized many causes, but in the end all we know is how it ended."

He took on a grim expression. "All we felt was a sense of overwhelming hatred and despair, followed by an almighty explosion. There's a grand crater there now." He murmured. "Filled with sand and anguish. No life will grow, and even the sky looks darker from within. The Mightyena was a smear upon the ground, but the backlash was too great. We had lost them both."

He tapped the orb on the marred surface. "This thing also gained an alarming fracture, though it appears to be internal as the surface still feels smooth. It also seems to work as it did before, though it doesn't seem to connect as well with me, or other Kirlia for that matter, as it did your parents. For all my distrust, I've had no adverse reactions when using it, simply a rather large increase to my psychic ability."

This thing… it had killed them, hadn't it? For a moment, Astra felt an overwhelming desire to smash the thing on the ground. "Why are you showing this to me?" she asked, frowning.

"Simply put, I want you to take it with you when you leave."

"Wh- what!?" Astra exclaimed. Take it with her? Wasn't this thing dangerous? "What do you mean? Didn't this thing blow up?"

"It is an emergency measure." He explained. "This plan of ours is quite literally the only chance we have to free ourselves of the humans domination." He put a hand on her shoulder and knelt to her level. "I would prefer if it does not become necessary at all, but should you ever find yourself discovered or in a hopeless situation, I want you to have one last failsafe. Do whatever it takes to stay alive and well. I can't lose you too. I- I _can't_..." He pulled his granddaughter into a hug, shaking.

Astra wrapped her arms around him in return. "I'll make it through to the end. I'll come back home. I promise." she said, burying her head into his shoulder. She didn't like seeing him like this. Gramps wasn't supposed to cry. She just squeezed, and hugged him as hard as she could.

"It's all I can ask for." he murmured in return. After a moment, he chuckled to himself and pulled away. "Ha, look at me. I'm getting so emotional in my old age. Your grandmother would have had a fit."

Pulling back as well, Astra watched as he wrapped the orb inside the cloth once more, closing the chest. "I don't mind." She said. "Sometimes I can get worked up too."

"A bunch of drama lovers, we are!" he agreed. "Well, we have a big day tomorrow. Have a good night, Astra. I'll see you in the morning." That said, he ambled over to his own little room carved into the cavern, brushing past the curtain doorway and disappearing from view.

"Good night!" she called in return. Yawning, she turned to go back to her own room. Her bed was calling feverently. And yet… her gaze flickered back to the box containing the artifact and back to her grandfather's door, as if he would emerge in a flash to chastise her for staying up even a moment more.

Satisfied that he would probably not jump out unexpectedly, she returned to the table and stared at the box. Climbing onto the stead, she re-opened the chest and brushed aside the cloth. The orb sat there, the central structure frozen inside the inky void within, the blemish still seeming to swallow a good third of the surface.

She didn't like it. It had saved her people, sure, but it had taken so much from _her_. Mixed feelings swirled around her mind, confusion and anxiety foremost. How was she even supposed to use this thing? What were they thinking? If her mom, a Gardevoir, was unable to handle it, how could she?

Except, she remembered, Gramps said that he had tested it and he hadn't exploded, so maybe they didn't use all of it at once? Hesitating a brief moment, she reached out to stroke the surface of the orb. It was cold, was the first thought she had. It was absurdly, impossibly cold. Not freezing, but just barely. It was smooth too, but oddly… sticky? Her hand came away without any issue, and there was no residue; but there was a sense of resistance when she pulled away. How peculiar.

Maybe… she should test it. Just a bit, to be sure. Resting her hand back upon the sphere, she took a calming breath. Accessing her psychic ability, she reached past the surface of the orb and _the world fell apart..._

* * *

 _He found me._

 _In the ruin of a tree._

 _When the rain had lasted forever._

 _He had come, seeking shelter from the storm._

 _A mere boy._

 _But yet, I was a child as well._

 _We came face to face that day._

 _In the hollow where the wind sang, but did not reach._

 _And the water pattered, but did not pool._

 _We were scared, him of me, and I of him._

 _And yet._

 _He did not run._

 _He smiled._

 _And said,_

 _Hello._

 _We talked._

 _About many things._

 _He told me tales of his home._

 _I told him stories of the forest._

 _He told me tales of his family._

 _Of a strong man._

 _And a kind woman._

 _But I could not._

 _For mine had gone._

 _He spoke to me of music._

 _And sang for me a song._

 _I showed him how to dance._

 _And he tried to follow along._

 _We collapsed._

 _And laughed the night away._

 _The sky grew light._

 _The rain had ceased._

 _The boy had to leave._

 _And I would be alone again._

 _For I had nowhere to go._

 _He said._

 _Come with me._

 _My home shall be yours._

 _He offered his hand._

 _And smiled._

 _I reached out in return._

 _And walked with him_

 _Side by side._

" _We will be together forever."_

 _He lied._

* * *

Astra's senses returned to her with a gasp as she jerked back from the box. She wobbled dangerously on the chair and toppled sideways onto the floor, disoriented.

"What?"

There was no answer. Slowly, Astra pulled herself back up, staring at the box all the while. Was that… a vision? She didn't understand, and her head was suddenly pounding. The older Kirlia could sometimes get forewarned of strange events as much as five minutes into the future, but it wasn't going to rain anytime soon.

"I never should have poked it." she mused. "Just what was that…?" With no revelations in sight, Astra returned to the table. Staring suspiciously at the orb, she closed the box again and retired to her room. She was too exhausted to make any sense of this.

She laid down next to Treecko and fell asleep. In her faded dreams, a boy and a girl danced between the raindrops, laughing until the sun came up.

* * *

Morning came, and with it a flurry of activity along with the final farewell. Guard and Grandfather at her side, she departed from the village one last time. A small horde of villagers waved from the dwindling boundary of her home.

"You better keep that knife sharp, you crazy girl!" The smith called, lounging atop an elevated platform. "We still need to get that drink!"

"Bring back a whole bunch of stories!" called one of the Ralts from last night.

"And something tasty too!" added the newly named Acorn.

Astra, wrapped in her black cloak and sunhat and carrying the backpack stuffed with items and preserved food, glanced back at the village one last time. The sight of so many people cheering her on brought with it a sense of renewed confidence, and she couldn't help but to smile back.

She gave the spectators a big thumbs up, determination and a fierce grin adorning her face. "I'll do my best!" she called. She continued on, silence returning as the cheers eventually dwindled into the distance.

The guard chuckled at her enthusiasm. "You really are something, aren't you? I suppose this is the last time you'll be needing me to walk you somewhere, eh?"

Astra hummed. "Next time you see me, I'll have all sorts of pokemon! Maybe I'll even be a Kirlia. I think that'll be better than any dumb old guard." she teased.

"Oi," the guard drawled. "Hows that any repayment for my services? I'm hurt." He tapped his chest, mock sadness in his expression. ""Right here. Totally shattered. Why, I might not survive the night! Oh woe is me- ow!"

Her grandfather had whacked him across the head. "Stop that!" he said, but he was smiling too.

Eventually, they slowed, and came upon their destination. Several meters in front of them, the forest gave way to Route 102, where Astra was almost captured only a few days prior.

"This is it, I guess," the guard said. "I don't think you need me saying it too, kid. But still, stay safe, yeah? I don't want all my hard work going to waste, after all."

Astra glared at him for a moment, then rolled her eyes and gave the Kirlia a hug. "Thanks for protecting me."

"Hey, hey!" The Guard stammared. "It was no big deal, really! Jeez…" He grumbled for a moment, then patted the short girl on the head. "Look after yourself, alright?"

"I will." Astra said, releasing him. He smiled, then partially retreated into the trees. That left only her and her Grandpa, both staring at the road. All that could be heard was the soft murmurs of distant wildlife.

"This is the last time we will see each other for quite some time. I can't help but say that I am worried that it may be our last," he said, gazing ahead wistfully.

"It won't be," she countered. Turning to him, she gave her grandfather the biggest grin she could. "I'll come back soon! You'll see. And I'll tell you all about where I've been and what I've done."

"Is that a promise?"

"The most important one I'll ever keep!"

He chuckled. "Is that so? I suppose I'll accept it. From here on out, you are on your own." Kneeling down, he pulled his granddaughter into one last hug. "Know that I believe in you, and that I love you more than I can possibly express. You will do great things."

"I love you too, grandpa." Astra said, and felt tears pool in her eyes.

For a moment, they both reached out with their minds and hearts, connecting on a level deeper than any physical touch could. Memories were shared on an intimate level; times spent fishing or playing, laughing at bad jokes or smashing berries, painting and listening to drizzling rain. Emotions too, of shared happiness and sadness, melancholy and even mutual annoyance.

All these feelings and experiences swirled together, gathered and replayed over an instant...

It could only be described as love.

The moment ended, and they separated, sad but smiling nonetheless. Astra wiped at her eyes and nodded. Her grandfather nodded in return, for there was nothing else to say.

Astra left the clearing behind, watched over by two sets of eyes, and stepped onto the road. It was wide, made of hard soil packed together by years of traffic. The trees surrounding formed a shady canopy, the air cool. In front of her, a picked-clean berry bush was planted. She stared at it for a moment, idly touched the ball in her pocket and smiled.

Turning west, she started walking. Toward a new beginning.

* * *

[1] Image, as usual, can be found linked in my profile.


	11. Path

It was mildly disappointing, Astra mused, that her heartfelt departure would be met with monotony. It wasn't that she was asking for problems! But…

She glanced around Route 102 for the dozenth time. It was the same as it had been at the start, albeit with more patches of untended grass. A few times it would veer north or south over hills to bypass outcroppings of trees, seemingly at random. There had even been a few Oran and Pecha bushes. She had considered grabbing some, but her pack was already stuffed with various berry products and dried fish. And that's all she had seen; not even a wild pokemon had accosted her.

Astra sighed. If she remembered the distance from her village to the city right, and her location on the trail relative to that, it would still be quite a while before it came into sight. She hadn't known what to expect, really. Perhaps that she would face down a horde of other human trainers upon this one road, each one vying to strike her down before she could continue? It felt a little foolish, in retrospect.

There was, simply put, not really anything happening at the moment. Her mind wandered, feet plodding onward aimlessly. For the sake of it, she plotted out what to do once she reached her destination again. She needed to find and defeat 'Gym Leaders', and… she had no idea where they all were. She had a pretty good guess for the first, but all eight couldn't be in one place, could they?

For the first time, Astra realized that she had no idea where to go after she reached the city ahead, either in failure or success. She screamed into the fabric of her cloak, the sound muffled by the layered fabric. What was she supposed to do there!? She didn't know! She-

...Wait. Wait! She had forgotten! Stopping for a moment, she lowered her backpack to the ground and rooted through a pocket, retrieving the rectangular device the Professor had given her. The shiny red casing of her Pokedex glinted in the morning light.

She had mostly ignored the small device in all the excitement of receiving Treecko and the party thereafter, but surely it could help her figure out what to do? What had he said? 'Cell phone, map, camera, and payment device'. She didn't know what a cell phone or camera was, nor what 'payment device' meant, but a map she recognized.

Re-equipping her backpack, she continued down the road, fiddling with the buttons. How did she activate it? The two buttons on the right did nothing, nor did the cross shaped pad on the left, the two small buttons to the lower right of that fared much the same. Two buttons on the corners of the top side similarly failed to produce any result, although she did notice an odd, square recess with some sort of prong in the middle. 'Ext'? She didn't understand.

The backside didn't have anything special on it aside from some screws. Was this how it was put together? The bottom, however, produced a small switch on the left, conveniently labelled 'On / Off'. Opposite that, There was another round recess on the opposite side accompanied by some sort of wheel embedded into the corner. They were labelled 'Phones' and 'Volume' respectively. Volume? Ah, so this controlled some sort of sound function.

Astra grinned at the sight of the power switch, and reached out to flick it, but stopped dead in her tracks at a sudden thought. Turning back to the phone's hole and the volume wheel, she stared at the helpful labels intently.

She did not recognize these symbols. She had never seen any of these before. In fact, she could not recall a single instance where she'd come across any writing in the village at all. How was she reading these things? Where had the understanding come from?

The letters suddenly felt extremely alien and unsettling. Disquiet and fear battled within her mind as Astra returned her attention to the surrounding forest; as if some culprit was hiding in the shadows, sinisterly… helping her read? Astra considered that a bit silly, but the discomfort remained. Someone had messed with her head, implanted comprehension where before there was none. Helpful as it was, Astra felt violated. You weren't supposed to _do_ that.

She stood there for a few more moments, thoughts going in circles. Eventually, she shook herself out of her stupor. Astra had no idea what had caused this, or even any way to begin figuring that out. Furthermore, she had a job to do. Still vaguely uneasy, she snapped the switch to the 'on' position.

Just like in the lab, a brilliant white screen appeared, which was filled in by an unknown, but colorful logo. A moment later, it was replaced by a calm blue screen filled with icons. A little section on top showed a small sun. 'Weather', it said. Astra glanced at the sky. Yep, sunshine. This seemed a little redundant. There was also three numbers to the side, underneath which were two more words and another number. She had no idea what that meant. The rightmost number in the trio incremented upwards by one as she watched. Huh.

Several of the words and icons remained incomprehensible, even with her new 'gift'. Experimentally, she poked the cross shaped button and the one icon that was highlighted became unhighlighted while another one, in the same direction that she had pushed, lit up instead. She tried it a few more times and smiled at one mystery solved; it appeared to select a desired icon.

One of the icons was labeled 'Map'. She made this icon light up and experimented with the other buttons. The left shoulder button didn't do anything, but the right one made the entire screen seem to rotate, bringing up even more arcane icons, though the screen was not full this time. Trying again, this time the reverse was true; the right one failed to do anything and the left one rotated the screen to the original set.

Re-selecting maps, she pressed the 'B' button, which did nothing. Pressing 'A' seemed to do the trick however, as the screen flashed white once more, showing a bigger version of the map logo. It soon faded into a rather confusing image of a big mass of green surrounded by blue, crisscrossed with yellow lines and red and blue dots. More green areas were scattered around the empty blue areas.

She stared at it for a moment. This was… a map? A map of 'Hoenn', apparently. Then the green would be land, right? And the blue would be water? What were all these yellow lines and colored dots?

One yellow line was flashing red, in the lower right corner of the main green landmass. The image was too small to really see anything useful. A few presses and one accidental program restart later, and Astra was able to enlarge the area.

'Route 102', read a line of text next to the flashing yellow line. The line connected 'Oldale Town' to 'Petalburg City'. Was that where she was? She was heading toward a city, and she knew that there was a vast expanse of water if you traveled from the village in a certain direction. It was her best guess. So, these red and blue dots and dashes were cities? And these yellow lines were roads, then. Connected to Oldale town was Littleroot Town. Littleroot seemed to be in the direction the Professor's' lab was; so if she estimated the time it took to get to the lab, and compared it to the time it took to get to the city…

Astra stared at the very small area of the map. She zoomed back out. Back in. Back out. That… was very large and she was suddenly feeling very small. How was she supposed to travel to all these places!?

Wait, she only needed to visit the ones that had Gyms, the Elite Four, and the Champion. Which were those? The city she was traveling to had a gym, so she examined it's icon for a moment, trying to see if it had a clue. It was red… and that was it. She examined the map as a whole again. Seven blue dots, nine red dots. Did that mean red cities had gyms? No, that didn't add up. Ugh. She might have to visit them all anyway. At least she knew where she was, if not where to go.

One of the buttons under the selector pad seemed to bring her to the starting screen. What else was on here? The 'Pokemon' icon brought up a screen with six rows. Five were empty, but one was occupied by a little caricature of Treecko; it appeared to be monitoring his well being. How did it know? Her friend appeared to be fine, in any case. Maybe a bit hungry.

'Pokedex'' brought up a grand list of nothing but a big list question marks; the only notable exception was, again, the presence of Treecko in the first slot. Selecting that brought up a few bits of info such as average height or weight, and a small blurb of descriptive text.

There were several others that she didn't understand. 'Account, album, calculator, calendar, camera, clock, contacts, dial'... the list went on. Astra's eye twitched. What even were all these things? Why did the humans have to make such a complicated device!?

Astra warily eyed the unknown icons. Which one should she investigate next? She hovered briefly over 'Music', but decided against it. There were more important things to do. Moving onto 'Clock', she opened the app-

"Hey!"

Astra jerked forward, stumbling over her robe. Catching her balance, she accidentally flung her pokedex into the air. Panicking, she reached up to catch it, only for it to bounce back and forth between her grasping hands as if she were a particularly lucky yet inept juggler. A moment of lucidity had her psychically hold it in place for a fraction of an instant, allowing her to finally take hold of the flying device. Astra was only able to relax for a moment however, as the sound of laughter rang out. Eyes wide, she turned to see who had startled her so badly.

It was a human child. Brown hair and eyes, wearing a wide brimmed yellow hat. He sported a teal sleeveless shirt with a yellow stripe running across the chest and a pair of brown shorts, on which hung two pokeballs. What was really odd was the massive net resting across his shoulder. Also he was still laughing at her.

"Ahaha! Ahha, ah, sorry, sorry that was just, Pfff." The human coughed, composing himself. "I didn't think I'd scare you that bad!" he continued, smiling.

Astra stared at him, silently applying her perception illusion. Hopefully he hadn't gotten a good look at what little of her face was still exposed. Reality caught up to her as she realized he had seen that ridiculous display. She flushed red, embarrassed beyond compare. This wasn't how she expected her first encounter to go.

"Ehe, yeah. At least you caught your 'dex, right?" he said, scratching the back of his head at her lack of response.

"Yes." She glanced at the device and quietly tucked it into her pack. "It's undamaged." He didn't seem to notice anything wrong, so she felt marginally safer, if still jumpy.

The boy squinted and twisted one of his fingers in his ear. "You talk funny." He shook his head, then pointed at her dramatically. "Hey! If you have a pokedex, you must be a trainer, right!?"

"I became one just yesterday. Why?"

"Oh! That means you're super new!" the boy exclaimed. "Well, you should know that should your eyes meet a fellow trainers in the wild, a challenge must be issued! And trainers can't back down from a challenge!"

Oh, was that how that worked? How odd. Wait, this boy was challenging her to a fight? She stiffened, a sudden tightness strangling her heart. A flash of recent memories rushed by, a Zigzagoon barreling down at her, Poochyena fangs flashing in torchlight-

 _Stop. Breathe._ She was a human now. They... they wouldn't do that, right? Her eyes widened at another recollection of combat. No, this was like in the city! A challenge to test each others pokemon! A game for fun!

Astra felt a small grin creep across her face, excitement replacing terror. "What's your name?"

The boy pointed his thumb back at himself, a smirk matching her own emblazoned across his face. "My name is Rick! I'll take you on with my bug pokemon!"

"My name is Astra," she countered, "future champion. Remember it!" [1]

Simultaneously, the two trainers grasped their pokeballs, sending them flying into the air. Dual electrical screeches cried out into the air as Treecko materialized, already prepared to face down his opponent. Which turned out to be a rather small Wurmple. Astra's eye twitched, and even though Rick's face was the epitome of seriousness she could only feel like this was some sort of joke.

"Wurmple! String shot!" Rick declared, taking advantage of Astra's incredulity to get in the first attack.

"Wurm Wurm!" the bug pokemon squelched, spraying a fine mist over the area. Treecko squacked as thin webbing began to coalesce in the air.

Astra snapped back into focus at Treecko's distress. Thinking quickly, she came up with a rudimentary strategy: Beat the worm into paste.

"Left, then close in with a pound." she ordered. "Avoid the webs!"

Treecko darted sideways, dashing through what little space remained between the fine threads that were increasingly littering the air. The Wurmple turned to follow him, but her pokemon was too fast for the bug; and with a small twirl, Treecko's tail impacted his enemy with a meaty thud, sending it flying to his master's feet.

Rick scowled as his Wurmple wobbled back to its feet. "Fast, and I didn't even hear any commands... Wurmple, tackle!"

"Wuuuurm!" it shouted, dashing forwards, head-spike lowered for the charge.

"Meet it head on, dodge and tackle it from the side." Astra ordered, visualizing the action as she communicated.

"Tree…" Treecko grinned. Dashing forwards, the gecko held himself low to the ground. At the last moment he jerked to the right, causing the Wurmple to stumble as it charged right past him. Reversing his momentum, Treecko latched onto the side of the worm pokemon and threw it to the ground. Damaged and shaken, Wurmple attempted to get up one more time, but an additional tail slam knocked it out of the fight for good.

"Ko!" Treecko crowed, victorious. Astra grinned at him, sending a congratulations over their link.

Rick made a frustrated sound. "Come back, Wurmple!" he commanded, returning the pokemon to it's ball. Clicking it back to his side, he pulled out his second ball. "Let's see how well you do against this guy!" he shouted, throwing the ball into the air. Astra tensed as the device released it's payload resolving into…

Another, slightly bigger Wurmple. Astra squinted at Rick. What was this kids deal?

"Close in and slam it." She ordered. Treecko once again rushed into the fray, advancing rapidly.

"Wurmple, into the webs! String shot, wide area!" Rick countered.

Wurmple took off into the webs left behind by it's predecessor, spraying another mist into the air. The webs which had begun to dissolve instead thickened rapidly, growing more and more interwoven. Treecko darted forward, jumping and sliding between, above and below the ever closing strands. Just a bit closer, and he could end this fight-

A sticky string detached from its holdings above and fell into his path. Treecko's eyes widened as he tried to avoid the sudden obstacle, awkwardly leaping over it. He couldn't, however, avoid the threads in the path of his descent. Crashing into the sticky white extract, one arm and his tail were grabbed by the webs and stuck in place, refusing to release him no matter how much he struggled.

"That's it, Wurmple! You've got him!" Rick cheered. "Hit him with a poison sting!"

Wurmple crawled down it's webs, the spikes on it's tail glowing a sickly purple light.

Astra's eyes widened at the sight of the encroaching creature. "Treecko, get out of there!" she ordered frantically.

Treecko redoubled its struggle against the sticky webbing. Slowly, tiny holes began to tear through the webbing as the trapped pokemon strained against his restraints. The holes began to give way- and then Wurmple was upon him. With a meaty _thwack_ , the bug stabbed its poisonous tail spiked into Treecko's sides, the force breaking him out of the weakened strands and sending him sprawling outside the webbed area.

"Treecko, are you okay?" Astra asked. She hoped he didn't get poisoned. Poison hurt deep, the pain spreading with the foul substance through every vein it could reach. Having experienced it before, Astra could rate it as one of the worst experiences of her life. Her berries could cure it but she couldn't toss him a jar in the heat of battle.

"Tree…" Treecko grit out, standing back on his feet. He radiated out feelings of intense pain, but it wasn't spreading. So he was hurt, but he wasn't poisoned. Astra sighed in relief, then focused back on the fight. He couldn't take another hit like that.

Rick grinned as his Wurmple maintained the elaborate webs that now took up a good chunk of the road. "Let's see your pokemon get through this, quiet girl!" he taunted.

Astra grimaced at the thick wall of string. There was no way Treecko could dodge through that. If he were bigger he could simply overpower it, but as it was… wait. Astra examined the hazardous strands one more time, a plan hatching in her mind.

Treecko smirked as it received new instructions. Dashing forward, it began weaving through the outer webs, dancing between the sparser threads.

"Tree tree!" he called, taunting the worm. Wurmple chittered angrily at the flagrant display.

"What, this again?" Rick scoffed. "Wurmple, string shot, cover the entire road!"

"Wurm!" it said, spraying ever more string across the road. The bug pokemon advanced further and further, creeping its territory onwards. Soon enough, webbing began to criss-cross everywhere, obscuring the road and even Astra from view.

Rick observed the progress with satisfaction, but frowned as something occurred to him. "Wurmple, stop!" he ordered, examining the battlefield now that the obscuring silken mist was gone. "Wait," he realized, "Where did that thing go?"

Astra grinned.

Rick's eyes widened as he heard a triumphant cry from above. Jerking his head up, he spotted Treecko, coiled like a spring on a branch far above. To his dawning horror, he realized his Wurmples advance had coated the ground in webs at the cost of leaving the air completely exposed.

"Treecko, slam!" Astra commanded. Treecko shot off the branch with a fierce cry, accelerating to a great speed toward the confused Wurmple below.

"Wurmple," Rick cried, "Watch out!" But even as Wurmple turned to look, it was too late.

Treecko spun in the air and slammed his tail down, delivering a gravity assisted impact to the unprepared bug. Wurmple impacted the ground violently, briefly crying out in pain before jerkily curling up, the one massive blow knocking it out cold. Treecko cried out in victory over his enemies unconscious body, injured but triumphant.

Astra had won.

Treecko, not seeing any new opponents appearing, hopped off his unconscious enemy and scurried over to Astra. Darting up her robes, he snuggled himself into her arms again. She pet him on the head, muttering praise with a smile.

"Ugh!" Rick grumbled, recalling his pokemon. "Down and out. Man, you're good!"

"I never thought Wurmples could could be so formidable. For my first challenge, it was really interesting!" she returned. "I suppose that means I win."

"Yeah, yeah. Man, I didn't even hear you tell your pokemon to do anything!" he complained absently, searching his pockets. Pulling out his own pokedex, Rick and Astra stared at each other for a couple seconds before Rick snapped his fingers, appearing to realize something.

"Oh yeah! You said you became a trainer yesterday, right? Did you visit the professor in Littleroot? It would explain the Treecko." he muttered to himself, then continued normally, "If you win a trainer battle you also win some money off the loser. Even Gym Leaders do it! Pretty cool, right? I guess the Prof forgot to mention it."

Astra blinked. What was 'money'? More things she didn't know! Ugh. She had a strong desire to hold the boy in place and interrogate him for all he knew. "I didn't know about that. How does it work?"

"Oh, sure! Here, get out your pokedex, I can walk you through it."

It turned out that one of the 'apps'- a shorthand term for the icons- handled this aspect. Rick helpfully walked Astra through setting up a 'macro' that would allow her to get the matter over in one button press in the future. Apparently her registration also gave her a 'Trainter's account' at a 'Bank'..

"Every trainer gets one," Rick explained, "and you get like two hundred every other week if you have less than five hundred. If you have less than two hundred, your opponents get paid a tiny bit by the government instead."

Astra nodded, starting to puzzle out the strange terms. 'Pay for food'? Money must be some sort of barter tool. She had been given five hundred when she received her trainer licence, and had won 64 from Rick according to the numbers on the screen. How useful was that?

"64?" she questioned, testing his reaction. "That's… a number."

Rick grimaced. "I know it's not a lot. I'm a beginner too, you know! It only pays out like, a fraction of what you have." He turned away slightly at saying this, scowling at the ground.

"Ah, no, it's fine!" Astra backpedaled. 64 wasn't very much, apparently. "I wasn't expecting any of this at all, so it's nice to know. Thank you, you've been a big help!"

He scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "It's no problem, really. Anyhow," he said, returning his device to his pocket, "I should get going. You're heading to Petalburg right? Shouldn't be more than twenty minutes from here."

Astra nodded. "It was a fun match. I hope you have a nice day!"

"Same!" he said, walking the way she had come. He flashed a smile backwards as we went on his way. "Maybe someday we'll fight again, 'Future Champion'! Good luck!"

"Thank you!" She waved him farewell as he continued down the road. Returning her attention to Treecko, the little gecko pokemon seemed to be sleeping- wait, no, he was just relaxing.

She poked him in the snout, to which he opened his eyes and glowered at her. Smirking, she fetched a few dried berries from her pack and offered them to her companion; hopefully their vitality restoring properties would aid in the recovery of his injuries. Idly, she ate one herself as Treecko nibbled down, pleased noises filling the silence. Dry, but tasty as ever.

After he finished his snack, she recalled him to his pokeball and returned to her investigation of the pokedex. Maybe one of these apps would tell her what a 'minute' was.

[1] Image, as always, will be linked in my profile.


	12. Service

A little investigation into the clock app revealed that a minute was 1/60th of an 'hour', which itself was 1/24th of a full day. A minute could be further subdivided into 60 'seconds', which themselves could subdivide by 60 into something unlabeled. On top of the sheer bizarre concept of dividing time into concrete sections, Astra found the divisions themselves odd and unintuitive. Why those numbers? 24 into 60 into 60… why not tens, or hundreds? The hours even seemed to double back on themselves halfway through the day and night. Two sets of 12 hours? What did AM or PM even _mean_!?

Nevertheless, a 'stopwatch' feature measured out the seconds and minutes and Astra felt she had a somewhat decent feel for the units by the fourteenth minute, which was when the city came into view.

The sight was as breathtaking as the last. Structures taller than the trees littered the landscape, perfectly square and sparkling in the midday sun. The trail she was on went directly into the city's center, gathering offshoots and buildings as it went. Most prominent was the grand building in the center of town with its large 'GYM' sign. Astra grinned at the sight. Her first goal was within reach!

Immediately ahead on the trail were two brightly colored structures labeled 'PokeCenter' and 'PokeMart' with red and blue tops respectively; the former much bigger than the latter. Astra peered at them from afar. The professor had said something about Pokemon Centers, hadn't he? Special 'computers' which could hold excess pokemon. That sounded important, and it wasn't like the Gym was going to go anywhere. Astra started down the road, eager to investigate.

A flare of fear arose as she spotted another human walking towards her. Would she fight again? Would she be discovered? An undercurrent of tension ran through Astra as the person came close and their eyes met… The human's eyes flickered over her outfit, eyebrow raised. They smiled, waved, and walked right past her; completely oblivious to the hammering of her heart.

Oh. Astra looked back as the human left. That was… anticlimactic. The human seemed to have a few pokeballs held on their waist, so they must have been a trainer. Why did they not challenge her? Did this 'eye contact' rule not apply near the city? Perhaps the human didn't want to fight either, or Rick was mistaken about the rule. A few more non-encounters on the road made her discard theory two. At the most, they would give her an odd look or give out a passing greeting like 'hey', which she would return in kind. Astra found herself relaxing as a pattern formed.

The two brightly capped buildings came up quickly; a few groups of humans seemed to be lingering around the area, though none of them paid Astra any mind as she approached the Pokecenter. The entryway seemed to be blocked off by a pane of glass. Astra stepped up to it uneasily. There didn't appear to be a handle, so how-

She nearly jumped out of her skin when the door slid open of it's own accord with a soft [i]ding[/i], a blast of cool air accompanying it. Stalling a moment to calm herself, Astra passed through the now vacant barrier, giving a wonderous glance to the crevice the door slid into as she passed. How did that work, how did it know to open, and other such questions flitted into and out of her thoughts. The interior itself distracted her from such ponderings.

The pokecenter was rich in bright colors, yellow and red predominant; the floor held a mosaic of a pokeball in the tiles, and various tables and soft looking stools were scattered around, grouped in corners. There appeared to be a shelf of books (Had she known that word before?) to the left, near some stairs that also appeared to move on their own. On the right was a line of odd machines, similar to what Professor Birch had spent some time on during her visit. Were these the special devices he spoke of? A few humans were inside, doing whatever it was they were here for.

The most prominent feature was the large desk in the back. A pink haired woman was sitting behind it, focused on the same rectangle that was present in all the other machines. One other girl was waiting anxiously nearby, eyes on the large machine behind the pinkette.

Well, Astra thought, time to find out what's going on here. Steeling her nerves, she strode up to the counter. The brunette to the side didn't pay her any attention, but the pink haired woman behind the desk looked up from her task at her approach, the faint tapping sound ceasing with it.

"Hello," she began, smiling warmly, "and welcome to the Petalburg East Pokemon Center. We restore tired or injured pokemon to full health, free of charge. I am Nurse Joy, would you like to rest your pokemon?"

Astra blinked. Well, that was easy. She didn't even have to do anything. "Do you explain that to everyone who comes here?"

"It's standard policy," Joy responded, her tone adopting a hint of wry exasperation.

"I see." Well, Treecko did just go through a tough battle, and he was injured pretty severely. The Pokedex claimed he had healed a bit on his own, but not quite up to full strength. Maybe it was worth testing their proclaimed service. "My treecko was just in a battle and he's still hurt. Can you help him?"

"Of course!" She said, regular smile returning in full force. "Please place your pokeballs in this tray." Reaching out of sight for a moment, she set down a plastic tray with six divots on the counter. Hesitantly, Astra set Treecko's ball into a hole. Nurse joy took the plastic tray and turned to the large machine to Astra's left and opened a drawer on the side, sliding the tray inside. Closing the drawer, she pressed a few buttons on the machine's interface and a short, artificial sounding musical ditty rang out. Sitting back down, she smiled at Astra.

"The process will take a short time; for this request perhaps around ten minutes. Please take a number; I will call for you when it is complete." she said, indicating a small ticket vendor on the desk. "Feel free to use any available computer. Alternatively, a selection of books may be found to your left."

"Thank you." Astra said, pausing to take the- apparently 29th- slip of paper from the roll. Glancing to her right, she spotted the row of strange machines once again. Were these the 'computers'? Curiosity perked, she headed over to investigate.

They were lined up on desks in booths, dividers between them for privacy; or so she assumed. One was occupied by a rather bored kid, but the rest were free. Taking the one furthest from the child, she climbed into the chair. In front of her was a thin square plastic box on a stand encasing a shiny, reflective black surface. On the desk itself was a rectangular board marked by glyphs on numerous smaller cubes and rectangles embedded within it, and an elliptoid divided in one half and two fourths, with the fourths split by a half-wheel.

To the left was a plain looking machine with a transparent half cylinder revealing an empty space inside; a divot similar to the tray Nurse Joy had used on the bottom. To the right was another odd device, it was a board with an empty space embedded into the surface which was the exact shape of her pokedex. A small slot was also next to it.

Astra would have been totally lost were it not for a helpful sign posted on the wall. To access the computer, she would have to place her pokedex inside of the right hand machine, and then her trainer card in the slot. Easy enough. Her pokedex slotted in with a click and the card slid in without incident.

Astra flinched as another small jingle played, the screen flickering to life on it's own. In an instant, it brightened to a blinding white, an unfamiliar logo taking up the center. After a moment, it transformed into a serene picture of rolling hills and a cloudy blue sky. Unfamiliar apps were lined neatly on the upper left of the screen, a lonely Trash icon on the bottom right.

Astra pondered the screen. It seemed to be a much larger pokedex on first glance. In fact… yes, it seemed that all the apps that were on her pokedex were here as well. Was it taking what was on the pokedex and copying it here? There were a couple unfamiliar ones as well, 'VulpixNet' and 'Pokexchange' among them.

How did she…? Baffled, Astra examined the tools on front of the computer again. The glyph board was incomprehensible, but she recognized most of the symbols as being letters and numbers, though one seemed to be blank? Why was it so long? She poked a glyph with an arrow on it, but nothing on screen seemed to change.

Maybe it was the odd elliptoid which held the key. As soon as she touched it, she spotted movement; A small white arrow had appeared from within a cloud. Moving the elliptoid further caused it to mimic her movements. Progress! Moving the arrow over the Pokexchange app, she pondered how to go further.

They glyph board didn't seem to have any immediate answers, but the elliptoid itself seemed to have some give on the divided areas. Perhaps it was a button as well? It was rather awkwardly shaped for her hands, so she lightly tapped the left section psychically. It gave a satisfying click, and the app icon was highlighted.

Not quite there yet, she mused. She pushed in the right half. A small menu popped up next to the arrow, listing various terms. Most of these she did not understand, but the top one, 'open', seemed to fit what she was searching for. Left to select, right to open a menu of action? Hm.

Hitting open created a new square of white, and another logo flashed by. It opened to feature a large section that imitated a forest labeled 'Box 1', and a large grey rectangle to the left labeled 'Pkmn Data'. A square in the top middle of the grey bar was filled with an empty grid of squares colored in two shades of blue. Above the Box 1 label were two other buttons labelled 'Party Pokemon' and 'Close Application'.

Astra examined the screen. Was this where her pokemon would go if she captured more than six? Since she hadn't captured any pokemon, it was empty. Hm. Moving the arrow over the Party Pokemon box, she pressed the left button again. A smaller box opened next to the gray bar, displaying six squares on a blue background. Five of them were empty and stacked on the right above a cancel button. The sixth was in the middle left, and showed a miniature Treecko, displaying the same information the Pokedex had.

Right clicking on Treecko caused a new menu to appear, offering to deposit or exchange him. Astra hit deposit, causing the machine to the left to open the barrier restricting access to the hollow compartment within. A word box popped up, saying 'Please insert your Pokeball'. Treecko was still being healed, so it seemed this was as far as she would get.

"29! Calling number 29!"

Astra blinked and checked her ticket. Time to go, then. It was just as well, this was starting to get a bit overwhelming. Closing the application, she took her trainer card and pokedex out of the slots, which caused a new box to appear, indicating that she would be 'logged off' if the items were not returned. Was that bad? The short countdown completed and… the icons disappeared, leaving only the background and another text box, which asked for a pokedex and trainer card to be inserted into the right device.

Well, it didn't seem to be obviously wrong at least. Astra got off her chair, blinking. Scowling, she rubbed her eyes; she hadn't noticed it during her experimentation, but the glare from the screen was awfully bright. Shaking her head, she returned to the desk, where Nurse Joy waited. The other girl seemed to have left.

"I was 29." she said, producing said ticket.

Nurse Joy took her ticket with another smile, and placed the tray with her pokeball on it atop the counter. "Thank you for waiting. We've restored your Pokemon to full health. We hope to see you again!"

Astra narrowed her eyes as she retrieved her pokeball. "Wait, you want my pokemon to get injured? That's kinda mean."

The nurses smile gained an amused curl at Astra's remark. "Still policy. You learn to take the bright side of it."

"Bright side?"

She shrugged. "If you're able to stand here and chat, that means you're not at the morgue."

"What's a morgue?"

"Ah," Nurse Joy scratched the back of her head, letting out an awkward laugh. "It's… nothing you need to worry about. In any case, I hope you have a nice day!"

Her face scrunched at the obvious deflection. She debated pressing, but she had things to do. "Well, okay then. Have a nice day!" she said, dropping the topic. A blast of warm wind hit Astra in the face as she returned outside. Not even ten seconds and she already missed the cool air.

Turning on her Pokedex, she double checked Treecko's condition. The service worked as was promised; Treecko was now in perfect health, though she should probably stop for lunch soon. But not right now, there was still the Pokemart to check out. There wasn't anybody hanging around the blue roofed building, which was only a short distance down the road. The same type of automatic door was present here as well, and slid open upon her approach.

The inside of this building was exceptionally different. Several bins and shelves of mysterious items lined the interior, and one wall even had multiple items behind transparent doors. Strangely, the place was completely deserted.

Walking a bit further inside, Astra blinked as a large counter came into view. A lone yellow haired girl sat behind it, head nestled in her arms and snoring peacefully. Um. Astra briefly scanned the store again. Was she… supposed to be sleeping? That didn't seem right. Well, at least it gave her a chance to look around without arousing suspicion. Silently, Astra moved through the aisles, looking at what was available.

Most of it seemed to be different varieties of food. By and large the bags of pellets seemed to take up the majority of the section, with canned 'wet food' taking second place. Was this what she would have been fed, if she had been caught? She wondered what they tasted like.

Astra took a baffled glance between the variety of brands. Why did they have so many types of the exact same thing? Were they different somehow? It was probably safe to bet that the numbers next to them was the cost, but why was it so disparate between them? One bag was triple the cost of the next highest! Still, the cheapest bag ran for 100 and if she had 6 extra mouths to feed it would last at least a week with proper rationing.

So called specialty foods and treats had a row to themselves. Oddly warm 'Fire Flakes', jars of 'Ghost Jelly', there was even a bag of scrap metal shaped into bones hidden in a corner. A few of these also seemed to come with redundant choices. Astra shook her head; surely there was some sort of explanation for all of it. In any case, she still had a pack full of berries and fish so she didn't need any of this yet.

The right wall of the store seemed to cater to grooming. Odd bottles, combs, leashes… Astra eyed a container of 'shampoo', but balked at the price tag. She frowned, feeling her own thick green strands. The unfamiliar pokemon's hair on the bottle looked so nice… but no, it would eat up nearly all of her money. She put the shampoo back, inexplicably sad.

The back wall of the store was much more interesting. This is where, it seemed, the competitive trainers items were kept. Empty pokeballs took up a solid third of the wall. Further down, there were a selection of small items called 'Simulants'. Reading the label on an 'X Attack', apparently these were capsules that, when eaten by a pokemon, would boost some attribute of theirs for a short time. In this case, the pokemon would be physically stronger than usual for the duration of a batte. Useful, but Astra grimaced at the worryingly large 'potential side effects' list on the side. She didn't ever want to know what 'Excessive intestinal distress' meant.

The rest of the wall was taken up by more utilitarian items, such as rope, water bottles, flash lights, sleeping bags, pokemon repellant, and even more bottles which supposedly acted as cures for various ailments and injuries. She inspected a 'Potion', which was a can that could spray some sort of healing liquid onto wounds.

Astra briefly marveled at the easy access these people had to such items. Poison cures and healing all in one little bottle. No more bandages with ground up moss you had to trek four hours to find or week long fevers from an infected cut or anything. She glared down at the little container in her hand resentfully. It was so unfair.

There appeared to be more advanced types of pokeballs and potions behind some glass doors, but apparently she needed more 'badges' to access them. Astra decided to purchase a pokeball, a potion and a large metallic water bottle. And with that she was out of money. Or, she would be after she paid.

The girl at the counter was still asleep. Astra glanced around the store again, but they were the only ones here. She sighed; it seemed that she would need to wake her up. Simple enough she supposed, a sharp ping would do just the-

The girl _shrieked_ ; snapping her eyes open and launching herself out of her chair. Her rapid ascent met an abrupt end as her head met the bottom of a shelf with a loud _thump_. "Mother _fu-_ " The girl screamed, before tripping over the chair and collapsing behind the desk. A low groan was all the indication that she was still conscious.

Astra watched with a horrified awe. That wasn't- but why- how did that happen!? All a ping was supposed to do was mentally tap them on the shoulder- _they weren't psychic_. She felt like tearing her hair out, _how did she forget that!?_ Setting her things down, she leaned down to peer through the glass and saw the girl sprawled on the floor, moaning with an arm over her face.

"Are you okay?" she asked.

"Bwuh?" the girl lifted her arm to stare at her, squinting through the harsh lighting. "Ugh. Sorry about that. I- I'm fine. Just, give me a minute." She waved her other arm erratically before finally catching the edge of the counter. The blond pulled herself to her feet with a pained grunt, rubbing her head with her free hand.

Astra almost apologized, but held back at the last moment. She couldn't take credit for a psychic attack, or else they would figure her out! It would be best to feign ignorance. "That looked painful." she said, and at least she could be honest about this. "Do you need any help?"

The blond grimaced. "No, no, I'm good. I just… it felt like someone jabbed a needle in my head. I don't..." She blinked, then stared at Astra suspiciously. "Was that you? Did you do something weird?"

"N- no. I was just coming over here but then you started screaming and fell over."

She held the stare for a few moments more, then rolled her eyes and sighed. "Whatever you say, mummy girl. Least it wasn't my boss." The blond glanced at the counter and blinked at the items scattered on it. "Oh, right. Did you need me to ring these up?"

Momentarily hesitating at the unfamiliar terminology, Astra nodded in reply. WIth expertise born of working at a specialty shop for far, far too long, the cashier scanned all of her items in a matter of seconds. Putting all three in a plastic bag, she sat them back on the counter.

"That'll be 550." she said, extending a cord from the machine she sat in front of. She held it out to Astra, who looked at it with great confusion. What was she supposed to do with this? It looked kinda familiar but-

"Kid? You gonna pay or not?"

"Um." Astra said, floundering. "How…?"

"Are you serious?" The blond sighed. "You put it in your pokedex."

Oh! That's where she had seen it, it mirrored the opening at the top. It popped into the slot with a satisfying click, and the payment went through immediately.

"Thank you for shopping at Pokemart, please come again soon," the cashier droned out, handing the bag to her.

"Thank you." Astra said. Still, the difference between here and with Rick was bothering her. "On the road I didn't have to use that wire. Why is it different here?"

"I dunno," She shrugged. "Some security crap, I think. Why are you wearing a bedsheet?" she shot back.

"Eh?" Astra looked down at her black robe. She felt 'I'm secretly a pokemon in disguise.' wouldn't go down very well. Why did she need the robe? Think, think... "Um. I… don't do well in sunlight?"

"Really?" The cashier suddenly leaned over the counter, staring at Astra's face intently. After a moment, a faint spark of recognition lit up in her eyes. "Ah shit, do you have, what was it called, albinism?"

Astra didn't know what that was. Was this a human affliction? "M-maybe?" she hazarded. It sounded like a convenient enough excuse.

The cashiers expression brightened. "Oh, that's so cool! You have the pale skin and the red eyes and everything! The hair kinda throws it off a bit, but man! You're like a- a-" she snapped her fingers a couple times before pointing at her in revelation, "A shiny person! Sucks about the sun thing though." Rummaging around in a pocket, she pulled out a small device of her own. "Hey, can I take a picture with you on my phone?"

Astra vaguely felt like she should be offended, but this was drowned out by the confusion. 'Shiny' person? Was everyone back home an 'albino'? They all had pale skin and red eyes after all. As for the picture, she didn't see any special reason to decline. Just to be safe, she reinforced the mental pattern holding her illusion together.

The blond held a radiant smile at her assent. Reaching across the counter, she put on arm around Astra's shoulder and held the phone away from them both. Astra shifted uncomfortably at the sudden contact. This was a bit too close… "Smile for the camera~" she said, holding up two fingers. An odd click later, and the deed was done. "Looks good!" she said, flipping the phone around.

Astra contemplated the image on the small screen. From this perspective she could see that her skin was indeed several shades paler than the humans; appearing almost snow white in comparison to her more pinkish hue. Apart from that, her disguise was working well; there wasn't any extreme differences between them and there was no hint of distortion. The cashiers brilliant smile was sharply contrasted with her awkward, barely visible one. Astra agreed with the blond; it was a nice image.

That said, this situation was getting a little weird. It was time to leave. "Yeah. Anyway, I should be going." Astra said as the girl fiddled with her phone. "Have a nice day!" she finished, heading toward the exit.

"Mm. Good luck out there, albino mummy girl!" She replied, waving as Astra left the store.

The trainer stepped back into the bright sunlight, three items richer and financially depleted. She sighed; It seemed that around every corner there was ten more new and confusing things. She was glad for it, but it was just a bit too much at once. Maybe it was time for that lunch break? Peering into the sky, she noted that the sun had indeed reached it's peak. She'd been in that store for longer than she thought.

A sudden growl from her stomach settled the matter. Lunch first. And after that…

She stared down the winding road, where the Gym laid, waiting. With a anticipatory smirk, Astra hurried down the road.

_

And that's 12 done.

Man, i've been pounding these out at a relatively blistering pace.

I get the horrible feeling that this one will be boring. *panic* *panic* *posts*


	13. Note

Finding a place to sit down for a while was a lot harder than Astra initially thought it was going to be. Skirting next to the walls of the buildings, she edged along the sidewalk, avoiding the modest stream of people heading to and fro. She passed by an elderly couple and shifted uncomfortably as their heads turned to follow. Did they really have to stare like that? She gazed at the sparse canopy above and sighed.

Just like last time, the number of humans had spiked dramatically the closer she got to the center. As they did so, she began to notice a fair number of them staring at her. Was a full black cloak really so odd? Or maybe it was this 'albino' thing. A combination of both? It didn't matter, the end result was a street full of nosy people and some horrible paranoia. If any of them saw through the facade...

She only wanted a nice shady place to sit for a while, just to let Treecko out and eat a jar of berries. There were several buildings that hosted tables outside them, but she would have to extend the illusion across her mouth as well. A bit of fatigue was already making itself known, just for keeping her eyes properly proportioned for all this time, not to even mention the nose. Also the part where she would have to scoop the foodstuff out with her telekinesis. That would likely give her away outright.

Astra paused to take in her surroundings. Signs proclaiming various services were on near every building. The one she stood in front of was named 'Imagi-Knit'. A large quantity of cloth items were visible through the window. She gazed inside speculatively. If she could get something that fit in better… but not now.

The shop itself did look familiar. Did she see it the last time she was here? She had been traveling across the rooftops at this point; gazing across the street, she tried to imagine seeing it from on high. Yes, yes it was coming together, the position of the trees, the colors of the signs. She knew where she was!

So if she traveled sideways a little bit, there should be- there! The continual stretch of shops and signs had finally broken in favor of a large swath of trees and dirt. The 'Petalburg City Park' was a welcome sight. Astra sighed in relief as she walked down the winding trail. The city outside had been really noisy, this relative quiet was warmly welcomed.

The park was mostly empty, one one or two people in scattered areas. A few children gathered among odd contraptions in a sand pit while a woman watched nearby, and a boy was playing fetch with an unfamiliar pokemon. Astra watched it chase after a colorful ball. What was that? A memory flickered, and she reached back for her pokedex. Turning it on, she pointed it at the creature. The device made a soft chime as it pulled up an entry for a pokemon called Skitty. Apparently they liked to chase things, such as their own tail. She stifled a giggle as the Skitty abruptly started to spin around, only to wobble fall over a moment later. Cute~

She found a table away from what little activity there was, the mental strain dissipating as her illusion faded away. With it's usual electronic whine, she released Treecko from his confines. The grass pokemon let out a trill as he stretched out, peering at his surroundings curiously.

Setting her pack down, Astra shuffled through it before retrieving a small container of fresh oran berries. Flicking the top open, she withdrew a blue fruit and ate it. Ah, an excellent mix of every flavor there was; sweet, sour, spicy… delicious. As she ate another one, she remembered that treat that had been dumped on her head. She wanted to try ice cream again, too! Her tasty daydream was interrupted by a hungry gecko attempting to climb up her arm.

"Ah! Treecko, stop that." she said, plucking the pokemon off. Treecko crossed his arms and let out a low grumble as he was set back on the table.

Grinning, Astra levitated a berry out of the jar and twirled it around her free hand. "You want one of these, right?" she taunted, hovering it over her palm.

"Tree…" Treecko crouched down, focusing on the fruit in her hand intently.

The tension rose...!

"There!" Astra flicked her hand, launching the berry at high speed!.

Treecko bolted to the left, easily intercepting and catching the berry in his mouth. "Ko!"

"There!" Astra launched another in the other direction, gleefully watching him dart across the table to catch it before it sailed into the grass. Grabbing another for herself, she began an all out berry assault, flicking oran side to side and into the air as Treecko dashed to and fro to catch them all. Down to the last berry, Astra merely held it in her outstretched hand. "Here!"

Treecko lept to the oran in a flash, and ate it straight from her palm. "Tree!" Smiling, Astra put the empty jar away and stroked him across the back. Making a soft noise, Treecko sprawled out on her lap. They spent a while like this, simply enjoying the wind and warmth, when the faint sound of music began to play.

Astra perked up. She remembered this! Was that old man here again? Getting off her bench and reapplying her illusion- an annoyed Treecko hopping onto her head- she walked around a bend in the path.

There he was, that old man from what seemed to be so long ago. Though now dressed in blue and brown, he was sitting on that same bench with that odd object resting under his chin, running that stick across the width. He was not playing the same song, not at all. What he was playing now raised every hair on her coat. The pace had increased drastically, notes changing from one to the next with a frantic fervor. Same as last, he was alone, and nobody had stopped to listen, though many more were looking his way as they passed.

Astra approached the recessed bench, but the man did not notice; his eyes were closed and for all intents was dead to the world around him. This music… it was wonderful! Astra couldn't believe a sound this exhilarating could exist. She found herself tapping her foot to the rhythm, moving side to side in tune with the song. It wasn't a proper dance; as a Ralts her legs were constrained by her coat and even moreso by the cloak, but she could still express this beating heart of hers nevertheless. Treecko bobbed his head as well, caught in the flow same as her.

Closing her eyes, Astra lost herself to the music. Winding up and down, but never losing that speed, that exuberant energy… she wanted to run. She wanted to fly! To feel the world pass by, and race the setting sun till dawn.

The ending came as a complete surprise, the intense melody coming to a jarring halt with a single, screeching noise. Astra snapped out of her reverie, disorientated. What? Why did it stop? The musician had set aside the mysterious object and was rubbing his hand. His brow was furrowed, mouth twisted in an odd expression. She didn't think he had noticed her yet.

"Aw, why'd you stop?" she whined, much to the man's surprise. His head swiveled toward her, eyes wide in astonishment. "That was really good!"

The old man blinked. "Oh, thank you. You were listening?"

"Yeah! I heard you from the park. I've never heard anything like it!"

"I see. It's not my usual work, to be sure," he said, picking up the instrument, "It was a bit of an experiment- oh, pardon my manners. My name is Trevor, I used to work in an orchestra. Who might you be?" He smiled at her, resting the- violin, was it?- on the ground.

"My name is Astra," she said, "I'm a trainer here to challenge the gym!"

His expression seemed to dim a bit at her words. "Are you? Oh, of course you are; I should have guessed with that little fellow on your head there."

"Tree." Now that the show was over, Treecko had lept to the ground and laid back against a tree.

Astra hesitated. There was something in his tone, did he disapprove? Why? "Is that… okay?" she asked.

"No, no, it's fine." Trevor waved her off. "It's all you kids seem to do nowadays, is all. Pokemon this, pokemon that… it's been like this ever since they let you kids tame pokemon by yourselves. Did you know that you used to have to get special training to even attempt that? Now it's so simple a kid can do it… how the world changes in just a few decades." He swept a hand through his greying hair, chuckling to himself. "Hah, nevermind that. You came over to listen to music, yes?"

She grinned at him brilliantly. "I'd love to!" He still looked bothered about something. But if he was offering to play again, she wouldn't miss the chance! Who knew when she could hear any of this again?

"Hah! What refreshing enthusiasm." Picking up his violin, he began to play once more. "This piece is called 'Dirge for the Unknown Soldier'. Rather simple, but I'm afraid more complex works are beyond me these days."

Astra sat and listened.. This song was a lot slower than the last one, the notes seeming to echo even in the crowded street. "It seems… sad."

"As it should be. It was written a long time ago by a talented scholar who lived in the desert. He based it on a local legend. Supposedly it was about an ancient warrior who was denied recognition for a great deed and left to rot in obscurity."

That sounded awful. For someone to be forgotten in such a way… it wasn't right. Something he said earlier bothered her a bit, though. "'More complex works'"? She echoed, "That first one sounded pretty complex."

Trevor grimaced and faltered in his playing for a moment. "Ah, well to an untrained ear I suppose you wouldn't have heard any irregularities. Did you notice how I ended the piece?"

Astra nodded. "Yeah, it was just a big screech. Why?"

"Hm." Much to her disappointment, he halted his song and laid the instrument down. He help out a hand. "Look at my hand. What do you see?"

Astra looked. It was her first time seeing a human's hand up close like this. It had four long, spindly fingers instead of the wide pad on her own. Each one was a little calloused and had what seemed to be a groove etched in the tips. The back of the hand itself had veins visibly criss crossing the entire back, bones visible against the flesh. The entirety of it was dull in color, wrinkly and trembling quite badly.

"Um." Astra said, uncertain. It was a wholly alien appendage, so she had no idea what was 'wrong' with it. His constant movement was making it a little hard to examine as well. "Can you hold it still? I can't-"

He stared at her, blank faced. "The problem is that I'm trying."

Astra looked up from his trembling digits, blinking. "You can't… control your hands?"

"It's a disease people get around my age," He sighed. "Some sort of problem with my head. It means I have issues moving, and, well. Other things, eventually." He flexed his hand, a distant look in his eyes. "I said I was in the orchestra, right? If it wasn't for this, I could have played there for the rest of my golden years. But now my control is slipping, and I keep making these ameture mistakes… they had to let me go. Sixty years I've played this instrument. Now in just a few more I'll barely be able to hold it."

"That- that's so awful! Can't you cure it?" These humans had all sorts of miracles, surely there was something he could do?

He smiled at her. "I'm afraid not. I've had my fair share of reports saying some sort of breakthrough in this or that, but it all turns into a whole mess of nothing in the end. I'll be stuck with this for the rest of my days, I think."

So there were things that even humans couldn't do? That… that wasn't fair. "But…" she trailed off. What could she even say to that? "I'm sorry." she mumbled.

"It's nothing to be sorry for. Sometimes life takes an unexpected turn, and it's not all bad, I suppose." Trevor continued, leaning back. "I've gotten to spend more time with my kids, visit places I always wanted to go. Even got to tour the old school where I learned to play."

Astra gladly latched onto the subject change. What was 'school'? "You learned to play at… school?"

He hummed an affirmative. "Yes. It was a pretty prestigious academy. I learned a lot from there and met some amazing people, though I've heard they have had some issues with class sizes recently."

Astra frowned. What was a class and what was the significance of its size? "Why is that?"

Trevor had started to fiddle with the knobs at the top of the violin. "It's just that not many people are interested in learning to play nowadays." He plucked a string and listened intently.

Astra processed this for a moment, then her jaw dropped. "What? Nobody wants to learn that!?" Back home, they'd be fighting tooth and nail to wield a violin! "How- why- Who wouldn't want to learn how to do that!?"

"Well, I suppose they just had different priorities." He gave her a sardonic glance. "Like training pokemon."

Astra flushed and looked away. That wasn't fair, she didn't even know violins had existed until yesterday! Not to mention her task of becoming the champion. Maybe in a better world, but… "I never had the choice." She mumbled.

"Oh? Were there no teachers where you are from?"

"Something like that."

"I see…" He looked at her pensively. "If you had had the opportunity, would you have done so?"

If she didn't have to disguise herself? If she didn't have to fight for her people's protection? "Training is really important to me right now, but I… I think I would have liked to." she admitted. "It's a nice dream."

"Would you like to try?"

Astra blinked uncomprehendingly. "Eh? What do you mean?"

Trevor smiled. "Well, I seem to have a violin right here. I also happen to be quite proficient at using it. Do you want me to teach you?"

"Really!?" Astra asked, eyes wide. "You'd do that?"

"If you are willing, I can think of no better way to spend my time."

Astra was on her feet in an instant, letting out a happy squeak as she jumped in excitement. "I'd love to!" This was amazing! She could learn to play, and give everyone back home a performance, and- and… Astras face fell.

"Hm?" Trevor gave her a concerned look as her demeanor turned downcast. "Is there something wrong? You seemed excited."

"I don't think I have time for it." Astra looked into the distance, the giant GYM sign looming in the distance. "I need to go challenge all of the gym leaders as fast as I can. It's really important, and why I came here in the first place."

Trevor hummed. He plucked one last string on his instrument and listened as the note thrummed through the crowded street. "Is it so important that you must race off right now?"

"Well, maybe not right this second, but… learning the violin, it would take a long time, wouldn't it?"

"Oh, certainly!" Trevor set the violin down and folded his hands together. "Learning to use it to such precision that you could play for an orchestra took me years! On the same account, surely travelling all across Hoenn would take you a few months, no matter how much you rush. I don't think taking five or so hours to just see what it's like would hurt, would it?"

That map _had_ looked rather large, Astra remembered. Even if she sped with all her might, she wouldn't be able to even reach another gym if they were discovered in the next few days, let alone the champion. She couldn't dawdle, of course, but rushing straight from gym to gym would be pointless, wouldn't it? On the timescale she had to work with... two seasons, maybe three. If the village was discovered before then, then she would have had no chance anyway. She didn't have too much time but there wasn't a complete lack of it either. She could spend a bit of it here.

"No." she looked at the sky contemplatively. "No I guess it wouldn't, would it?

Travis clapped his hands, grinning gently."That's the spirit!" Hefting the instrument, he beckoned her closer. "Well, first let's go over the terminology, and then how to hold it. This is called the 'Bow', and you slide the fibers over the strings to produce the sound…"

Astra listened intently as he listed every component of the violin. It wasn't the most interesting thing, but she was excited to see what came next. Trevor quickly went over how to hold the violin, and passed it over to Astra.

She gently took the instrument and examined it up close. It was very light, colored like the wood it was made of and had an almost reflective sheen of something covering it. Grabbing the neck with her left hand, she awkwardly held the slightly too large violin in her chin. She positioned her hand around the neck-

"You're going to need to take your hands out of your sleeves, Astra." Trevor interjected with a tone of faint humor. "You can't hold the strings down through that thick fabric."

Oh. Oh no. Astra hadn't considered that. She couldn't pull her hand out, it looked way too different! "Um. Do I really need to?"

"Er," the musician frowned at his students reluctance. "Yes, you do. Is there an issue?"

Yes there was an issue, her hands were completely different! She didn't have any fingers, for one thing. "I- it's just... " If he saw what she was, she'd be completely screwed. What could she do? Backing out now would be too suspicious. She'd have to craft another illusion from scratch, it was her best shot. Lowering the instrument, she surreptitiously hid her right hand out of sight. Time to stall. "Sorry, I- II get really nervous about taking my cloak off."

"Even just your hand?"

Focusing on both the conversation and crafting this new illusion was taking more out of her than she expected. Slowly, the fingers started to take shape. She hoped nobody noticed the purple glow beneath the sleeve. Splitting her attention, she quickly pulled together an argument. "I use the cloak to protect myself, due to a condition. If anyone saw underneath, they'd… treat me a lot differently. Even the girl working at the Pokemart started acting strange, and she only saw my face." Even as the details started to solidify, Astra began to feel the strain steadily increasing. Was she reaching her limit?

Trevor let out a low rumble, understanding dawning in his eyes. "So you are worried that if I saw your hand, I would act similarly?"

"M-maybe." Putting the finishing touches on the blueprint, Astra was ready to call her new hands complete. The first one formed easily enough, but the second proved to be too difficult. It flickered in and out, malformed and misshapen as she struggled to gather enough energy to form it. This wasn't going to work, she realized; she had too many illusions running at once, one would have to go. Pausing a moment to rest, she refocused on the conversation. "It's just… I don't know. I don't want it to be a big deal."

"Now now," he said, resting his hand upon her shoulder, "Astra, I can promise you that I would never treat you any differently than I already have. We haven't known each other for long, but I can already tell that you are a lovely young girl with fantastic enthusiasm and a bright, open mind. That won't change, no matter what condition you have."

His words held such earnesty that she couldn't help but smile, even if it was a little sardonic. Would he still say the same things if he knew the full truth? She hoped he would, but the answer would never come. Rubbing at her face, she surreptitiously pulled her mask a little further up. "Thank you," she said, dispelling the mirage on her face. The hat and mask would cover it up enough for now. "That means a lot."

Forming the illusion around her hands, Astra finally pulled her sleeves all the way back. Her new appendages were not much different at all from a regular humans in shape, save perhaps the digits were a bit thin and spindly. However, they both had the same oddity as the rest of her in that they were unnaturally pale, like snow.

Trevor blinked as they came into view. "My word," he said, "You said this was a condition of yours? It looks like you haven't seen sunlight in years."

"Sunlight makes it worse, actually. It, uh…" Belatedly remembering that she didn't actually know _why_ sunlight was supposedly bad, she switched tracks. "It's not fun."

"Oh dear. Will you be okay?"

"We're in the shade, so I think I'm in the clear."

"Well, I suppose you would know better than I." Motioning to the instrument, he smiled a ther once more. "Well then, shall we continue?"

The lesson moved rather quickly from there. Despite not having taught before, Trevor seemed to have a knack for it. On the other hand, getting her illusionary fingers to sync with the strings she was depressing was trickier than she imagined, so her playing speed was stuttering as her movements slowed down to compensate.

"Speed will come with time," he reassured. "Once you get the motions down it's just a matter of practice."

She was also surprised that there was a visual component to music. "How do you 'read' music?" she asked, "Isn't it just sound?"

"Ah, but we can mark down each note and where in a composition it is placed. It is called sheet music. I happen to have a few in my case." A shuffle of papers. "This is a simple one. See this mark? The shape and position translates into a 'C' for a quarter of a note. Once you get used to it you can look at this and hear the whole melody in your head."

"Amazing!"

"Yes, it's quite useful. We use it to learn songs that other people made. Though," he blinked, looking around him suddenly, "I think it would take too long to teach you that right now."

"Huh?" Astra turned to look as well. The shadows on the trees and buildings had grown long, and the masses of people were about, cheerier and homeward bound. "Oh, it got really late, didn't it?"

"It seems so." Trevor gazed at the people rushing by, deep in thought. Turning back to his student, he smiled once again. "How about one more before you go?"

She grinned right back at him. Picking the bow up, she set it back on the strings, ready to go. "What should I play?"

"Hm, well, how about you improvise? You've done quite well so far with the ones I've shown you."

Astra hummed. What to play? Something slow, for certain. Calming, perhaps. Unbidden, a memory surfaced. Smiling, she set the bow to the strings and drew it back.

It wasn't the best, as she was still stumbling with the notes and the speed, but the strings sang their song nonetheless, a melody of ages past. It spoke of calm wonder; a vast, ageless world that was just over the next horizon. 'Come and see.', it said, 'What lies beyond these rolling hills?' It built up, a crescendo, a singular promise of adventure. So too as it reached its peak, one would also discover what they had searched for. The descent was calmer, almost sleepy. The journey was done, and it was time to rest, it said, and faded into silence.

Trevor applauded, smiling ear to ear. "My word, bravo! You certainly have made astonishing progress, haven't you?"

"Do you think so? Thank you!" Setting the instrument down, Astra gave it a fond look. "It was really fun."

"Truly, it is remarkable. The skill you've displayed just now, why if I hadn't seen it with my own eyes I would have thought you had been regularly practicing for a month or two. Yet with only a half days instruction..."

Nodding to himself, Trevor stood up, and extended his hand. Taking it, Astra pulled herself off the bench. "I had been thinking about this during the lesson, and I think that cinched it."

"What were you thinking about?"

"I have a favor to ask. My time as a musician is all but done. But you, with your natural talent in this field, could very well succeed me."

"Eh? I don't understand," Astra tilted her head. "I need to fight all the gyms, I can't stay here."

"I know, and I would never ask you to stop following your dream." Trevor picked up the violin and bow, storing them within a black box nearby. Turning back to his protege, he held the case out to her. "I merely ask that you take this violin with you, and continue practicing along your journey."

Astra's eyes widened in astonishment. "You're giving me your violin just like that? Why?"

"My affliction is steadily robbing me of any ability to use it," he looked upon the box with unhidden melancholy, "but you are so young, and a full life awaits you. With a hidden talent such as yours, I would think it a great crime to not nurture it. Nobody ever said you can't be a trainer _and_ a musician."

"I- I don't know what to say." Reverently, Astra took the case out of his hands. "How can I be a trainer _and_ do this?"

"If you love something, and from the moment you played that song I saw that you do, you can always make time for it." Reaching over, Trevor patted her head. "You said you needed to finish all those gyms rather quickly, right? All I ask is that once you are done, perhaps you could come visit me here. You could play a song and show me all that you learned."

She was getting a little misty eyed. Wiping her face with her sleeve, she grinned fiercely. "I'll play you the best song you've ever heard! That's a promise."

Trevor chuckled. "I look forward to it. Now, I think you have a challenge to make?"

"Yeah." Stepping forward, Astra hugged the aging violinist. "Thank you for everything."

Trevor returned the hug. "It was my pleasure. Take care of yourself now!"

"I will." Astra waved to him as they began to part ways. "I'll be back!"

The aging musician gave a brief wave back, and then was gone.

"Tree." Treecko said, still lounging on the bench.

"Yeah." Astra replied, looking into the distance. The Gym stood above the other buildings, shining brilliantly in the dying light. "Let's get going. We've got a gym to beat."

Treecko leapt onto her shoulder, and then they were off.

* * *

The petalburg gym was an intimidating sight to behold. Situated in the middle of a large concrete lot encircled by bushes, several stories tall, and hosting a grand 'GYM' sign on it's slanted, tiled roof; it almost radiated a grandiose aura.

Unlike the last time she was here it was fairly populated; a few humans were loitering around the sides of the building, watching a showdown happening in the court outside. A green pokemon that vaguely resembled a Poochyena if it's head managed to stretch back to its tail was dashing around, firing bolts of electricity into the air. Up above, a giant winged pokemon that was a full two thirds gaping maw was frantically dashing through the sky, avoiding the shots.

Astra watched as the enormous bat made a hasty swerve left when it should have gone right and winced as a sharp crack echoed through the sky. It's limp form started to fall a moment later, but was caught by a red beam from it's disappointed trainer to varied cheers and boos from the spectators.

Walking through the automatic doors, the lobby of the Petalburg Gym greeted her with a brush of cool air. Much like the pokemon center, there was a desk in the middle of the lobby manned by a couple of humans. The faint chorus of animalistic noises emanating from the side areas was a marked difference, however.

To the right she could see several dummies being strategically mauled by a wide variety of strange pokemon; all of them were using different methods of clawing, biting and striking them as their humans barked orders. To the left- Astra blinked at the view behind a set of glass panes. Why was there a small lake indoors? A few aquatic pokemon were swimming alongside their trainers. Occasionally one of them would leap out of the water and perform some type of attack on another set of dummies.

Ah, so the gym was also used for training? Good to know. Maybe she could look around after she beat the gym leader.

One of the receptionists was talking to a man in a red jacket, but the other one was idly tapping at a glyph board. Astra approached him and peered above the counter, which was a bit awkward seeing as her diminutive height barely let her see past the edge.

"Hello?"

The sandy-haired man hit a few more glyphs before sighing and plastering on a grin. "Hey there! What can I do for you?"

She flashed him a brilliant smile, though it went unseen under the cloth mask. "I'm here to challenge the gym leader."

His smile changed to a grimace for a split second as his eyes flicked over her. "Er. Well-" he was interrupted as a voice sounded from the other half of the table.

"Is that a challenger I hear?"

"Hey Norman," The cashier greeted as Astra turned to look. The man in the red jacket nodded at the cashier, though his gaze remained fixated on her. He was tall, with dark hair and eyes to match. "Yeah, this kid was asking about you."

"I see." Crossing his arms, Norman examined his would be challenger. "Hey. I'm Norman, Gym leader of Petalburg City."

"I'm Astra," she said, then pointed at him dramatically. "I'm here to challenge you!" she continued with a fierce grin. Finally, the first step towards her goal would be taken-

"I refuse."

"..." the grin slowly faded off Astras face. "What?"

"Your challenge is declined." he explained, as easily as one would shut a door. "You're not going to fight me today."

Confusion bubbled away quietly, only to be replaced with a roiling surge of panic. "What!?" she repeated, shock and outrage lending an extra edge to the question. "Why?"

"How long have you been a trainer?" Norman shot back, unimpressed.

"Wh-, I, ah," Asta stammered, caught off guard. "I, well… since yesterday?"

"Tch, even newer than I thought. A single day with a pokemon and you think you can duke out out with a gym leader?" Norman shook his head. "Have you fought a single battle yet? No, don't answer, it doesn't matter."

"In the end, it comes down to this," he continued, uncrossing his arms. "You're too green for me to even bother with. I'm only interested in fighting strong trainers, and right now I wouldn't even have to say anything for my weakest team to run roughshod all over yours."

Each word he spoke was like a deathknell echoing through her mind. No, no no no this couldn't be happening, she didn't come all this way just to be thrown out the door! "You don't understand, I need to beat you and get your badge! I can't be the champion without it!"

Norman sighed. "I understand that requirement very well. I'm still not going to fight you, it wouldn't accomplish anything. If you're so desperate for a badge then go west to Rustboro City, Roxanne is more tolerant of novices than me." Turning to walk away, he paused to give one last remark, "Once you get four badges, feel free to come back. We'll see how strong you are then."

Astra watched him go, thoughts swirling, crashing into each other in a cacophony of nonsense. Distantly, she heard the receptionist attempt to comfort her, but she didn't care. She hadn't been close to her goal at all. She hadn't even taken a single step towards it.

She fled the gym, teeth grit together and tears dampening her mask.

* * *

She sat on a bench outside, idly swinging her legs and watching another duel take place in the courtyard. Her considerable frustration had petered out by now, but the damp spots remained. She rearranged her mask so it wouldn't irritate her, she sighed.

Norman… she frowned, kicking at a rock. She didn't like him. Looking down on her just because she was new… ugh. Whatever. Whatever! Just because she didn't get the badge from that inconsiderate stinkberry didn't mean anything!

Rustboro. Roxanne. She'd just have to travel there and beat her, and then she would truly be on her way to the champion. She would train, and beat a lot of trainers, and when she came back here she'd beat his face into the dirt! Ha!

She was so busy with that little fantasy that she didn't notice someone was walking up to her until she heard a voice call out.

"Hey! You wouldn't happen to be Astra, would you?"

Astra bolted upright. Who-!?

He stood next to the bench, looking at her curiously. He wore a red and black shirt, with black pants under another pair of black shorts (What), had a green headband and white hair- (Wait, no, that was a hat. His hair was black.)- and a green backpack.

She didn't recognize him, how did he know her name? "Er." She said, suddenly very self conscious. Did he find her out somehow? "I- I am. How do you know that?"

The human grinned at her affirmation before giving an awkward chuckle at her question. "Ah, my dad told me. You met him yesterday, I think. Professor Birch?"

"Oh. Yeah, I remember him. He's your dad?"

"Yeah. I hope he wasn't too embarrassing. He's really enthusiastic, haha." he said, scratching his cheek with a finger.

"No, he was fine," she said, relaxing a bit. "He didn't say anything about you, though. Who are you?"

He slapped his forehead. "Oh, I completely forgot! Sorry, my name is Brendan. It's nice to meet you Astra! I heard that you got the Treecko yesterday so I wanted to come over and say hi."

"Ah, Hello! It's nice to meet you."

"Good to meet you too. Do you mind if I sit here? We could hang out for a while."

"Eh?" Astra squinted at him. "Why?"

Brendan shrugged. "The professors give out pokemon in groups of three, but dad was only able to give out two, one of which I have, and you happened to get the third. People like to say that people who are in the same group are destined rivals. But," He added with a smile, "I think that we could be friends too."

"Friends…" Somehow, Astra hadn't thought about that. In her imagination, she hadn't considered the interval between the Now and becoming champion. But she had always stood at that summit alone. Could she really do everything, without talking to anybody at all? Hadn't she already done that when she took a lesson from Trevor?

It would be a risk, she told herself. A friend was more than a momentary teacher. But the argument seemed hollow. For a moment, she struggled against herself, but really, there could only be one outcome.

"Sure." she said, giving him a radiant smile. "I guess I wouldn't mind a friend."

"Oh, fantastic! I was worried I'd screw this up." he said, sitting beside her. "So, did you want to talk about anything specific or-"

"Just one question." She had wanted to ask this since she first spotted him and was dying to know.

"Eh?"

"Why are you wearing two pairs of pants?"

The best part of being an empath, Astra mused, was that she could literally feel the exact moment Brendan's soul died.

* * *

LAST CHANCE 2017 UPDATE WOOOOOO

And with 45 minutes to spare! BRING IT THE FUCK ON 2018!


	14. Rival

"...and that's why two pairs of pants are the pinnacle of fashion and practicality amongst all legwear," Brendan said, nodding sagely.

"Oh wow. You've really put a lot of thought into this," Astra said. She was impressed; she had no idea someone could talk for so long about pants. She looked him over again. "It still looks dumb."

"Says the girl in a bedsheet," he grumbled, lightly shoving at her shoulder.

She shoved him right back. "At least I have an excuse," she teased. "You're just blind."

"Tch. One day you'll see. Everyone will be wearing double! It's the only way to go, really."

"As if."

They lapsed into a comfortable silence, idly watching another duel between strangers in the courtyard. The match came to a close- Astra let out a cheer when her favored side won- before Brendan spoke up again.

"I couldn't help but notice, you seemed kinda… mad, earlier? When you were alone, I mean."

Astra's victorious expression turned sour. "Oh. Yeah. I tried to challenge the gym a little while ago." Astra kicked another rock, scowling.

"Ah," Brendan said, comprehension dawning. "You met Norman, did you? He only got his position a little while ago, but I've heard he can be a bit abrasive-"

"He's a massive jerk is what he is!" Astra spat, glaring into the concrete. "He basically said I was worth less than dirt!"

"Yeesh," he winced. "That's harsh. I guess you just had bad luck, then. Usually the receptionists turn you away unless you meet the prerequisites. Though," he continued, tilting his head, "what were you doing challenging a gym so soon? It's only been one day hasn't it?"

"I became a pokemon trainer so I could become the champion. I don't have a lot of time either, so I needed to challenge the gyms as soon as possible." She shot another sour look at the gym. "So much for that."

"What, like a time limit?" Brendan asked, curious. "That's odd. What happens if you run out? And for how long? Or- oh man, sorry, is that private?" He stammered, slightly panicked. "You don't have to answer!"

"No, it's fine," she sighed, gaze somber. "I just don't like worrying about it. If my time runs out… well, at the very least I don't think I'll be able to be a pokemon trainer anymore." She smiled ruefully at her massive understatement. "I don't know exactly how long I have, I just hope I have enough."

"Ah man, that sounds rough. I hope it's not anything too serious…?"

Astra smiled at him reassuringly. "Nothing like that. I'll be fine for a while. But," she added, "I don't want to go into detail." If anyone found out everything it would be a disaster, after all.

Brendan let out a relieved breath. "Okay. Well, it makes sense that you beelined it here, then. You'd have better chances with Roxanne over in Rustboro. Everybody goes to Rustboro first."

"Norman said something about that too." Astra said, leaning forward. "Roxanne is the gym leader there? What's she like?"

"Oh, she was a former student at the trainer school there. Top of her class from what I heard, joined the gym right after and ascended pretty quickly." He reclined against the bench, gazing up at the reddening sky as he thought. "She values strategy and tactics more highly than most other Gym leaders, and her Gym focuses on Rock type pokemon. I think she also has a hobby with archaeology?"

"What's archaeology?"

"The study of historical objects and locations, though I think she just really liked fossils."

Astra hummed. "What's a fossil?"

Brendan looked at her, visibly confused. "You've never heard of fossils? Um. Well, they're preserved remnants of things that lived a long time ago. Like, you know," he waved one hand around empathetically, "Flies trapped in amber, footprints and skeletons embedded in rocks, stuff like that."

She frowned. "That sounds weird. Why would anyone want a bunch of old dead stuff?"

Brendan shrugged. "Some people like that sort of thing, I guess."

"Bleh." Shaking her head, Astra leapt off the bench. "Enough of that. I'm not going to beat Roxanne with a dead rock, I need practice! I came here to fight and I'm going to get one. Brendan!" Said boy blinked as she pointed directly at him. "We're supposed to be rivals too, right? Well, let's get started then. I challenge you to a battle!"

Brendan's eyes sharpened as a grin stole across his features. "Would it surprise you that I was about to suggest that too? You're on!"

A moment later, and they stood across from each other in a vacant arena.

"I should warn you that I've been around pokemon since I was a kid." Brendan spun his pokeball on his finger, before grasping it and posing dramatically. "I won't go easy on you just because you're new."

Astra smirked. "Give it all you've got, I'll still take you down!"

"We'll see about that. Mudkip, I choose you!"

"Let's go, Treecko!"

Two balls soared into the air and twin bolts of energy shot down to the battlefield, resolving into Treecko and a somewhat familiar blue aquatic creature. It had a large blue fin on top of its head, with orange, spikey cheeks and a grey fishtail. Where had…? Oh! It looked like a small version of that blue behemoth in the Professors yard. Was this a predecessor?

"Mudkip, Tackle!" Brendan commended, pointing ahead. Mudkip let out a yipping sound as it started to charge.

Establishing her usual mental connection, Astra quickly laid down a plan of action in the span of a thought. _Deception_.

Treecko grinned. Kneeling into a runners pose, he shot off, heading to meet his opponent in the middle of the field. The distance closed rapidly, both combatants' focus razor sharp as their opponent closed in.

At the last second, Treecko pivoted to the side and back stepped, Mudkip's tackle rushing past by a hair. Startled, Mudkip stumbled and started to turn, but Treecko launched himself with a furious cry, slamming into his opponent from behind.

"Mudkip!" Brendan shouted as Treecko sent him skidding across the arena. The fishlike pokemon shook and righted itself in a flash, ready to go once again.

"Mud! Mudkip!" it yipped, pawing at the ground.

Astra's grin grew winder. Her plan worked! Time to go on the offensive. _Rushdown!_

"Tackle again, Mudkip! Stay on target!"

But Treecko had already started moving before he could finish his command. Even as Mudkip began to move, Treecko was already running fast and accelerating. This time they collided head on, Treecko shoulder checking into Mudkips downturned head. With a grunt of effort and a cry of pain, Treecko's momentum overrode his opponent's strength and sent Mudkip sprawling once again.

Time to go in for the kill! _Final-_

"Hey, what are you doing?" It took a second for her to realize Brendan had spoken to her. She broke off from Treecko and refocused on him. He was frowning. Why?

"What?"

He glanced between her and Treecko for a moment. "Trainers are supposed to lead their pokemon. You do know that, right?"

Astra blinked. "Of course I do. Why are you bringing that up, do you think I'm doing it wrong or something? So far you're the one who's losing."

Brendan made a frustrated noise. "No, it's not that! It's that you _aren't!_ You haven't told your Treecko to do a single thing, he's just going off on his own. It doesn't matter if he's winning, that's not how it works!"

What was he talking about? Astra scowled at him. She was commanding her pokemon just fine! So what if he couldn't hear her, what did that matter- _they don't have telepathy_. Astra suddenly felt like slamming her face into the concrete. She made the same mistake _again_. Of course it mattered, nobody else did it!

"W-well," Astra stumbled slightly. What did she even say? "Just because you can't hear it doesn't mean I'm not!"

Brendan made a face. "What, did you put a radio in his ear?"

"No?" She didn't even know what that _was_. "Maybe I'm just that good."

He gave her a flat stare. "Good enough to not give your pokemon directions."

"I'll let the results speak for themselves!" she deflected. "We're still fighting!"

Brendan looked like he might argue further, but the moment passed. "Fine. Mudkip, take him down!"

Astra whipped her head back toward the two combatants just in time to see Treecko attempt the same sidestep maneuver as earlier. But Mudkip had learned from its earlier mistake and tilted to the side in tandem, striking Treecko with incredible force.

"Treecko!" Astra cried out as her companion was knocked to the ground. The gecko pokemon recovered quickly, but was breathing heavily. He wasn't looking too good, and from only a single hit?

"Don't let up Mudkip! Tackle barrage!" Brendan commanded. Mudkip heeded his call and began to rush Treecko down yet again.

 _Evade!_ Astra called out, hoping to buy some time. Watching as Treecko managed to dodge his opponents wild rushes, sometimes only be a hair, she worried over how to proceed. Now that momentum was lost, how was she going to regain it? This wasn't in the forest, there were no trees to use for maneuvers or tricks. What did she do?

Her thought process stalled out for a moment, and Treecko faltered. Even if his speed was greater, his endurance wasn't quite up to par, and so he was too slow to dodge another of Mudkips unrelenting tackles. Astra could only watch as the aquatic pokemon clipped Treecko and send him spinning to the ground yet again.

Astra gritted her teeth. With Mudkips superior strength, contesting with brute force would get her nowhere. But it had wizened up to her tricks, so what else could she do?

"I don't suppose you have any ideas?" she ruefully asked Treecko during the lull.

Treecko paused and then to Astra's great suprise, she began to receive crude conceptualized thoughts across the telepathic link. Oh! She hadn't known this could happen. Her question was rhetorical, but she'd take it. Treecko's sapience wasn't fully realized; he wasn't at the same level of intelligence as her or a human, not by a long shot, but he was clearly smart enough to convey base concepts and emotions.

 _Power._ He conveyed at the speed of thought; not in words, but images and meanings. _Drain; Heal, Weaken._

Astra blinked, astonished. Understanding bloomed immediately, and she grinned as a new plan took form. "That's perfect! Time to turn this battle on its head." _Diminish!_

Only three seconds had passed since Treecko had stood. Mudkip reared back, shouting a challenge to it's opponent. "Mudkip mud!"

"Let's finish this, Mudkip," Brendan cheered, "Knock her pokemon down, once and for all!"

As Mudkip charged, Treecko crouched down and focused intently. The thundering steps increased in tempo as Mudkips momentum built to an all time high, and yet Treecko was undeterred. At the last second, when Mudkip was a mere instant away from bowling Treecko down, he leapt; grabbing the fin on mudkips head, Treecko swung himself around and landed on his opponents back. Mudkip screeched as he tripped and skidded upon the pavement, thrown off balance by the maneuver and sudden weight.

"What the-!?" Brendan gasped, voice tinged with panic "How did- Mudkip, shake him off!"

But Treecko was not done yet. With a surge of power, tiny, needle like thorns sprouted from the ends of his fingers. Glowing green, he slammed it into the side of Mudkips head and _tore_.

Mudkip _screamed_ as rivulets of green energy were drained out of his body, and thrashed upon the ground wildly. Over and over Treecko was smashed upon the ground as Mudkip tried to shake him off, but even as Astra watched, the green energy that Treecko was pulling out was absorbed into his body, visibly mending all the cuts and bruises.

"Mudkip! No! Get rid of him!"

But despite Brendans frantic commands, Treecko was latched on tight and continued his grim task. In a matter of moments Mudkips wild flailing slowed, a dim lethargy overtaking it's senses. It's crying dimmed, it's movements finally ceased, and then it was over. Treecko disentangled itself from his opponents unconscious form and crowed to the sky.

Victory.

A beam of red light overtook Mudkips form as Brendan recalled it, sighing. Treecko had already returned to Astra, climbing into her arms.

"Good work!" she praised, stroking him, the little gecko visibly preening.

"Well, that was embarrassing." Brendan shook his head. He tapped out a few buttons on his pokedex, and Astra grinned as her funds were replenished. "Beaten by a new trainer who didn't even give out any commands. I guess I still have a lot of work to do."

Astra's reply was cut off by the sound of slow clapping. Astra looked around, but didn't see the source. Brendan, however, looked right past her in astonishment before slowly lowering his face into his palms.

"Ugh," he grumbled. "I'm never gonna hear the end of this, am I?"

"Nope!" a voice sang from behind, radiating amusement. "I'm gonna milk this one for _weeks_."

Astra turned around and almost dropped Treecko out of shock. A girl stood behind her, leaning against the entrance to the gym. Her face was ringed by long, brown hair, with blue eyes and a mischievous grin. She wore a red bandana over her scalp which tied in the back, a red jacket and oddly blue spats, alongside a small tan pack on her hip.

She had also been there, that moment two days ago when everything had changed. She remembered it well; standing behind that green haired human, an expression betraying boredom and annoyance as a zigzagoon barreled down at her. Astra froze completely, eyes wide as the girl sauntered over, one hand on her hip.

"I mean, really?" she mocked, waving a hand in her direction, "What kind of rival loses to some kid who doesn't even talk?"

"May," he grumbled. "I don't need this right now."

May(?) laughed. "Nah, what you need is a good kick in the ass. I guess growing up with a professor doesn't mean you know how to fight, eh?" She moved closer and elbowed him in the side, not sparing Astra a glance as she passed.

He shot her a glare. "I know how to fight! I just need more experience. Mudkip was at a disadvantage anyway, you know he's weak to grass moves."

"Weaknesses didn't help you against Torchic back on 102," May countered, maintaining her massive grin.

"He didn't know any water moves back then," Brendan defended. "I couldn't take advantage of it!"

"Excuses!"

Astra stood to the side awkwardly as they bickered. Who was this girl? How did Brendan know her? He had mentioned that the professor had given out three pokemon. Was she the last of their trio?

"Um," she interjected, "Hello?"

Both of them blinked and turned to her. May squinted. "What do you want? You won, battle's over. Go away."

"May! Don't be a jerk." Brendan chided before turning back to Astra. "Sorry about that. Astra, this is May. She moved next door to me a little while ago. She's a rival of mine, and the last part to our trio. May," he turned back to the girl, who looked confused, "This is Astra. She visited the Professor yesterday and picked up Treecko."

May scowled. "Trio? You buy into that old fairy tale? Whatever." Crossing her arms, May looked Astra up and down, a vague interest sparking in her eyes. "Well, I guess you beat Brendan, and that's good enough for me. So!"

Cutting herself off, she strode over and planted herself in front of Astra, a shark like grin plastered across her face. "Nice to meet you, shorty. Names May." She held out a fist, waiting expectantly.

"N-nice to meet you too?" she stuttered, memories of their first encounter flashing through her head. "I'm Astra." She looked at the fist, confused. What was she supposed to do with that? "I…"

Behind May, Brendan looked amused and vaguely exasperated. He held both of his fists up and mimed bumping them into each other. Oh, some odd form of greeting, she supposed. Grateful, Astra repeated the action, balling up her hand and connecting with Mays. "Nice to meet you too."

She leaned to the side, one hand upon her hip. "I saw the tail end of the fight, you have some nice moves. That said, I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but seeing as you beat up poor, weak Brendan over there-" She said, pointing a thumb backwards.

"Hey!"

"-I'm obligated to beat your ass into paste."

Astra took a moment to process that, dumbfounded. "What?"

"I'm the only one allowed to defeat Brendan." she explained, still grinning. "Since he's my rival, it makes me look bad when just _anyone_ can walk over him. Though, according to that big nerd-"

 _"Hey!"_

"-you're supposed to be my rival too. I suppose that makes it a bit better, but not by much since, after all…" she shrugged, tilting her head, "Doesn't that mean I have even more reason to fight?"

"I guess?" Astra didn't really understand her logic. Still, if she wanted a battle, she was all too willing! A small part of her was viciously pleased by the opportunity to enact a bit of revenge. Just as she opened her mouth to accept the challenge, a thought occurred, making her hesitate. Shouldn't Treecko rest a bit, first?

"Um, I would accept, but I just got done fighting with Brendan. I should-"

"What?" May interrupted incredulously, "Flaking out because your pokemon has a few scrapes? He's fine, especially after that bigass absorb he did."

"Tree!" Treecko even seemed to agree with her, wriggling out of Astras arms and leaping to the ground. "Ko ko!" he said, hopping on his feet. It seemed he really was good to go.

"Well, I guess I'm ready to fight after all." Astra smiled at Treecko before turning a glinting eye toward May. "You're on!"

"That's what I like to hear," May cheered, striding back to the other side of the field. Brendan shot her a wary look before moving to the benches. "Let me show you how a real trainer does things. Torchic, go!" she called, tossing her pokeball into the air.

When the light faded, a loud chirp signified the arrival of a small beaked bird, feathers the color of flame covering its body. "Torchic!" it chirped, hopping around.

"Right, I'm counting on you Treecko!" Astea called, sending her pokemon back into the fray. Treecko moved into position, but with far more trepidation than Astra expected. She blinked at Treecko's sudden lack of bravado, replaced by a sense of wariness and… fear?

"Woo!" Brendan shouted from the sidelines. "Take her down!"

May twitched at his words, then glared at the bystander. "You better be cheering for me!" she yelled, shaking a fist at him.

Brendan looked away, whistling innocently.

"Tch. Whatever." Rolling her eyes, May looked back at her opponent. "Well? Come on, then!"

"Not going to make a move?"

May smirked, leaning to the side again. "I'll be nice and let you go first. You're going to need it."

Astra scowled. How condescending can this girl get? Fine then. Fine! Switching her attention to Treecko, she directed him into the fray once more. _Drain!_

Treecko seemed to hesitate for a split second, but shot off regardless. Needles covered in glowing green energy once more sprouted from his hands as he darted across the concrete, closing in on the chirping Torchic. Leaping into the air, he descended upon his hapless opponent!

It came as a complete surprise when Torchic didn't even attempt to dodge. Treecko's hand slammed home, the needles digging into torchics side.

Astra stared, flummoxed as May didn't make a move as her pokemon was attacked. What was she doing!? Her musing was cut short as Treeckos frustrated cry caught her attention; his hand was still digging into his opponent, but it didn't appear to be doing much of anything at all to Torchic. In fact, it seemed like it was only irritated? Why!?

May sighed, shaking her head. "Torchic, ember."

Astra could only sense Treeckos panic for a split second before Torchic opened his beak, but by that time it was too late. A stream of red hot _fire_ blazed forth, engulfing Treecko in a swath of blistering heat. It lasted only for a moment, but it was enough. Treecko screeched, falling to the ground as the fire licked at his body, black soot covering him head to toe.

 _PAIN_

"Treecko!" Astra gasped, the extent of his agony coming across the link in full force. "Treecko, no! Please get up!"

"Peck."

Torchic chirped, hopping over to it's writhing opponent. With a swift motion its beak drilled into Treeckos head, mercifully ending the charred pokemons struggles. With only two moves exchanged, it was over.

Astra numbly recalled treecko, hands shaking. Her mind was blank, replaying that scene over and over again. It wasn't the brutality that bothered her (though it wasn't pleasant); Treecko had been battered before, that wasn't the issue.

It was the sheer, infuriating _ease_ in which May had won. She had scored a direct hit with Treecko's new special move and it hadn't done a thing, while she had taken him out in one attack. How could she be so much stronger; hadn't she just gotten her pokemon recently as well?

Astra closed her eyes, sighing. A little more experience counted for this much, did it? What were they talking about before she interrupted? Some pokemon were weak to specific attacks? The admission was bitter to the taste, but she had to admit; maybe Norman had a point. She had a lot to learn after all.

A loud sigh from her left breaks her out of her thoughts as Brendan steps back into the arena. "Did you have to go that hard on her? She just started yesterday."

May shrugged, having transferred Torchic to the crook of her arm. "Type advantage is a bitch. But, I guess. Maybe next time, Astra!"

Astra gave her a weak grin. "Yeah. Next time."

Brendan patted her on the shoulder. "Don't feel too bad. May is really good. She beat me on our first day too, and I grew up with a pokemon professor."

Astra nodded, side eyeing Brendan. "I guess- wait, you lost to both of us, and I've only been in one battle before this. Are you sure you're not just bad?"

Brendan's pained look was a sight to behold, as was May's sudden riotous laughter.

"Astra! You can't just go and murder someone like that!" she wheezed. "He has a family!"

"Haha, very funny," he deadpanned over Astra's giggle. "Laugh it up. See if I ever comfort you again. Ungrateful, grumble mumble."

"Anyway!" May proclaimed, pulling both Astra and Brendan close, arms locked around their shoulders. "I've got a massive hunger that can only be solved with delicious food. Who's down for sushi?"

Astra perked up. More strange human food? If it was anywhere as good as ice cream, she was willing to take a hundred losses. "I am!"

"Eh, sure. Sushi sounds good." Brendan agreed.

"Fantastic! You two are paying." The resulting glares could melt through stone. May laughed. "Hey now, losers gotta pay! I ran past a place earlier today that looked decent. Let's go!"


	15. Chat

All three trainers traveled down the streets of Petalburg together, the dying evening light casting a dim amber glow across their surroundings. Brendan and May took the lead, getting into a conversation about how he could improve his tactics, Astra only listening with half an ear.

Astra stared, wide eyed as scattered metal poles began to emit bright lights across the emptying streets as the sun finally set; it seemed like the stars themselves had come down from the sky and taken residence in glass jars. Several signs on surrounding buildings also lit up, shining with astounding brilliance. How had they captured pure light within these glass tubes? In such vibrant colors, too! Although… something seemed off about it. Astra looked around at the lit up streets, wondering what was wrong.

"Hey," she said, comprehension dawning as she looked _past_ the lights. "Where did all the stars go?"

The sky was far emptier than Astra had ever remembered seeing it. On clear nights like these there would usually be a massive field of tiny lights and with giant, starry clouds. But all she could see was one or two of the brightest ones scattered here and there. Where had they gone?

"What?" May asked, stopping to look skywards in confusion, "Um? The sky looks like it always does. What are you talking about?"

"Yeah, It doesn't look any different… oh!" Brendan snapped his fingers in comprehension, "Astra, do you live in a rural area?"

"A what?"

May sighed, "He's asking if you live out in the woods."

"Oh, well. Yes?" Astra said, to May's surprise. "What does that have to do with anything?"

"Light pollution," Brendan explained, "The city produces so much light during the night that it drowns out the light from the stars. If you've never been to a big city before, I suppose you never would have experienced it."

"Oh." Astra gazed back up at the sky again. It was well and truly black now, and only a comparatively few tiny points of light remained. "So people living here never see all of the stars?"

"It's a pretty rare sight," Brendan confirmed, "That's one reason why I'm looking forward to traveling around. I'll get to see the real night sky all the time!"

"Pff. That reminds me," May leaned in, grinning, "Didn't Rustboro have like, a giant blackout a few years ago? I remember reading about it online because a shit-ton of people called in a 'giant silvery cloud' floating menacingly overhead."

"Did they really? Hah! That's amazing!" Brendan chuckled.

Astra didn't see the humor. "People didn't know that was there?" she asked, incredulously. That cloud of stars was the prettiest thing in the sky! Her grandfather had even painted it on the ceiling a few times. "I can't imagine never seeing it. Do all these lights really need to be that bright?"

"Well I bet all those cars are glad they can see," May said dryly, jerking a thumb at a passing vehicle. "Otherwise they'd crash into each other nonstop. So we can't see the stars in a city, big whoop; if anyone wants to see them they can go take a hike."

"That's just not right," Astra argued, "Everyone should be able to see it, even in the city! Can't they shut them off for a little bit?"

"That might be easier said than done," Brendan said, sidestepping a puddle from a cup someone had dropped. "It's not like we could just find a big lever and turn all of them off, there'd be chaos in the streets. I dunno how you'd even start going about that, actually." He admitted.

May cast an incredulous look at him. "What, doesn't this place have a town hall or anything? Back in Johto you could just go there and drop a suggestion in a box."

"Maybe?" Brendan shrugged, "I never looked into that sort of thing; too busy with helping my dad around the lab and all. Also I don't live here," he added with a wry smile.

"Hmm," Astra hummed, "I'll have to find that and put a suggestion in."

May looked back at her, amused. "They didn't do much good back home, I wouldn't get your hopes up."

"I have to try!"

"Yeah yeah, good for you, little miss activist. Bleh, too much talking, I'm extra hungry now!" Twirling in place, she stepped a pace ahead, facing them with arms spread wide. "Good thing we're here!"

'The Sleepy Sharpedo', as the illuminated sign so brightly proclaimed, stood before them. A caricature of a creature, likely the aforementioned Sharpedo, was illustrated on the window; it was wrapped in a thick white blanket with a black surface, dozing off. Cute! Posters were plastered across the rest of the windows, and the inside was brightly lit and bustling.

Maay opened the door and all three stepped inside. The smell hit Astra first, the delicious aroma of fish and sundry lifting her spirits immensely. Humans had done wonders with ice cream, what could they do with Magikarp?

Around them were several groups of people, all talking and eating in good cheer. The sound was extremely chaotic, and she couldn't understand more than a few words from one conversation before another drowned it out. Spread throughout the main area and behind the counter up ahead were a few humans in matching outfits; they were rushing side to side, talking to people who were requesting food. In the back she could spot more people in a preparation area, handling knives, sections of strange fish, unknown plants, along with a large amount of… rice? Another new word.

Despite the crowd there was a fortuitous empty area at the counter itself, so all three of them sat there. Displays of fresh sushi were displayed in front of her behind glass panels, and up above were giant boards listing items and prices. Were all of these unique items? There were so many! She didn't know where to start, not to mention she didn't even know what most of them were.

Next to her, May hummed. "What are you guys having? I'm thinking… Octillary tentacle."

"You like that? Don't they still wriggle while you eat it?" Brendan said, looking ill.

"Hell yeah they do!" she cheered, looking entirely too excited.

"Ugh. That's way too creepy." he shuddered. "I'll have… ooh, they have Corphish? Yes!"

"Big meaty claws? I can dig it. What about you, Astra?"

"Hm? Ah..." Astra shrugged, still puzzling over her choices. "I've never had sushi before, so I don't really know what to get."

"Never had sushi? Man, what kind of fuckin' backwater- ugh," May shook her head. She tapped the counter for a moment, thinking. "How about you just get something random and you can snag a few bits off our plates? Taste a little of everything."

"Ooh!" she grinned, "I like that plan! Ahh… Magikarp?"

"Playing it safe are you?" May teased, "And here I thought you'd get something exciting."

"It's good to have a fallback!" she defended, "Besides, you just said I could take bits off your plates."

"What, you're not even going to ask me?" Brendan said, annoyed.

May gave him a pointed look. "You gonna say no?"

"Well, no, but-"

"No issue then!" she chirped with a single clap. Waving over a person behind the counter, she relayed their orders. "Now to wait!"

"Aaah, I hope it doesn't take long…" Astra said, kicking her feet idly.

Brendan looked wary. "How much did it all cost?"

May burst into laughter. "Did you seriously order without looking at the price? What the hell, man? Ahh, not more than a couple hundred by my count."

"For everything? That's not too-"

"Each."

May twirled on her seat to face Astra, ignoring the sudden bout of asphyxiation behind her. "Hey, so I gotta ask; did you really live out in the woods?"

"Um," Astra said, somewhat taken aback. "Yeah? I mean, I didn't sleep outside, I live in this big cavern carved into the rock-"

"No shit, you lived in a cave?" May exclaimed, eyes sparkling, "That's so cool! Was there like, giant crystals deep down, or a spooky mineshaft? Ooh, hidden underground hot spring!"

Astra blinked. "Uh. N-no. It was just one big cavern and a couple blocked off subsections for rooms. No crystals or… mineshafts. My grandpa did paint on the walls, but otherwise it was… just a cave."

May pouted. "Lame."

"You live with your grandfather, then?" Brendan inquired, having resigned himself to a pricy dinner. "What's he like?"

"Yeah, he's the best! He tells me stories and taught me a bit about painting, and how to make jam and stuff." Astra smiled, reminiscing. "I've lived with him for as long as I can remember. It's… weird to be away from home like this. He was really worried about me becoming a trainer, but I hope I can go back and show him all I've done someday."

Brendan nodded with a grin of his own. "He sounds nice. Mine are holed up in another country, we go visit them every other year or so. Is it just you and him?"

"Mmm, we're not really out there alone; there are a few others around," Astra drastically understated, "One of them even made me a knife before I left!"

May blinked. "You have a knife? That's pretty cool, can I see it?" Astra was halfway to pulling it out when Brendan reached out and pushed her arm down.

"Not in the restaurant!" he hissed, glaring at them both. "You're going to get us kicked out!"

May's eyes widened, then she slouched, contrite. "Shit, my bad. Sorry."

Astra recoiled, withdrawing her hand from her pack. "What? Why?" She hadn't even eaten yet, there was no way she was risking getting thrown out!

Brendan gaped at her incredulously. "Y-you, what? Astra, you can't pull out a weapon in a restaurant!"

"A weapon?" Astra asked, confused. "But… it's just a knife? It's not really a weapon."

Brendan still looked flabbergasted, so May stepped in to save him. "It won't stop them from worrying that you might try to use it as one; people might think you're being violent."

Astra paled. "I would never do that!"

May snorted. "Yeah, I know that, and so do you. But they-" she waved a hand in the direction of the employees, "-don't. To them, you're just somebody in a full cloak. Which, by the way, is kinda suspicious." she added, then paused. "Actually, I've been wondering about that-"

"Order up!" A voice cheered from behind the counter. A waitress stood there, smiling and holding a giant platter. "Thank you for dining with us! Please enjoy your meal!"

In short order, three plates were deposited in from of the trio, each brimming with delicious fish. Astra gazed upon her own plate with glee. It was magikarp alright, she could recognize that smell anywhere. But oh, how different it was! The meat was sliced neatly and placed with rice, and wrapped in thin layer of shiny black plants. All of it was sprinkled with something truly unknown, flecks of color mixed in with the rice making the whole ensemble shine brighter than a measly fire could ever do.

There was also about a dozen of them, and she wasn't going to waste any more time. Raising her hand she… er…

How was she supposed to pick this up?

A snapping sound next to her drew her attention. May had picked up a small wooden stick from a cup and snapped it horizontally, making two sticks. She covertly watched as she deftly used both sticks with one hand to pick up a-

"Gah!" Astra yelped, at the array of _live, wriggling tentacles_ on Mays plate. "Wh-what? Is that still alive!?"

May snorted, then chuckled for a few seconds. "No, no; it's dead. See, when you pour on the sauce-" she demonstrated, reaching for a bottle on the counter and letting a few drops hit her food. The tentacles renewed their wriggling, curling and twithcing madly. "-they start to dance! Pretty cool, right?" she popped one in her mouth, smiling.

"It's creepy is what it is." Brendan muttered. Astra nodded in agreement.

"Cowards, the both of you!" May proclaimed, downing yet another writhing tendril.

Shaking her head, Astra turned back to her own plate. Taking a chopstick (is that what they were called…?), she snapped it in half and tried to mimic how May was holding them. After a few seconds of frustration with both the cloth and the fact that she didn't even have fingers, she gave up and just held them in place psychically.

Picking a roll up, she gave a brief pause to apply her illusion and pull her face wrapping down, and finally took a long awaited bite. Hey eyes widened in surprise. This- this was…! "Delicious!" she gasped. (1) The flavors of the magikarp were amplified above anything she had had before, the fishy taste only emboldened by the seasoned rice. Even the seaweed added a certain texture to the ensemble, leading to a collection of astounding sensations beyond her wildest dreams. Inhaling another three rolls, Astra absorbed the flavor in bliss. Truly, human food was the best~

Astra grinned, remembering an earlier promise. Leaning over, she peered at Brendans dish, which appeared to be meat contained inside of a few giant red claws. He had cracked them open and was dipping the portions inside in some sort of sauce. "Hey Brendan," she called, "Can I try some of that?"

Brendan looked up, swallowing a bite. "Hm? Oh, sure, but only if I get a couple rolls!"

May smiled and held up a convulsing tentacle. "Not gonna make a bid for my food?"

"Er…" Astra recoiled from the squirming tendril with faint nausea. "I… no, definitely not."

"Your loss." May shrugged as Brendan exchanged a small portion of Corphish.

"It's already buttered, so go ahead." he said, munching on a roll. "Ooh, this is good!"

Grinning, Astra took a bite. Her eyes widened. It was sweet! The sauce was smooth and a bit salty too, which only amplified the taste of the meat itself! Would this world never cease to surprise her? Practically inhaling the rest of it, the psychic could say for certain that this was the best thing she had ever eaten.

The conversation had died out as the three so them ate, so Astra pondered what to say over another roll. Something May had mentioned earlier came to mind.

"So May," Astra said, "you said you were from… Johto?"

May hummed in affirmation, still chewing. Swallowing, she said, "Yep. We moved to Hoenn from Olivine. It was a nice place, I guess. Used to hang out at the lighthouse and stare out at the ocean. Watched fights at the local gym, too. Lived there for three years; longest I ever stayed in one place. "

"Only three years? That's weird." Brendan said, eyebrows raised. "You moved a lot?"

"Yeah. As far back as I remember we've moved to a different region about every other year. Never super abroad, though; I remember Dad wanted to go all the way to Orre once but Mom put her foot down due to all the batshit crazy gangs around there."

Brendan hummed in agreement. "Yeah, I read things are getting pretty bad around there nowadays; I don't blame her. Still, every two years? That's a bit extreme, isn't it?"

May snorted. "Try telling that to my Dad. He was a pokemon trainer like us; always traveling around from one city to the next, one region after another and going up against the big leagues. Didn't stop when he married my Mom; didn't stop when she had me. Mom and me would just move to one city in the area and stay there while he did his thing everywhere else." May's expression grew increasingly bitter as she went on.

"And of course, as soon as we got settled in he would just up and leave for months at a time. Anytime he came home he'd only stay for like, three days. And when he finally says he's retiring from travelling, he rips me away from a new home one last time to go to some no name town in the middle of nowhere with no friends and no warning. _Again_. And, of _course_ , he takes over the gym two towns over and _sleeps there_ instead of with me and Mom! Clearly he has his priorities straightened out!"

Astra winced as May stabbed a chopstick straight through a tentacle, scraping the plate and snapping the fragile stick in two. May stared at the broken tool for a moment, then sighed.

"Sorry," she said, tossing the broken stick away. "He just pisses me off."

"It's fine," Astra patted May's shoulder, "It was hard enough leaving my home. I can't imagine what that was like for you."

"Same here. Hopefully you have a better time here in Hoenn. At least you're not alone, right?" Brendan smiled. "You've got us now, and we're not going anywhere!"

"Yeah!"

"Tch, you guys are such dorks." May grumbled, but Astra could see her lips quirk up. "Thanks, I guess."

Astra grinned at her. May must have lived a hard life, she mused. She could barely imagine living somewhere that wasn't the village; it wasn't like there were any other options around, after all. To advance the concept of moving around so much that no one place would ever really feel like 'home' was… she couldn't understand it. Home was supposed to be _home_ , not just a disposable sleeping area! Still, something she said lingered in her mind.

"You said your dad took over a gym?" she questioned. "Was it the gym here?"

"And the ball drops." May rolled her eyes. "Yeah, Dad's name is Norman. Let me guess, you challenged him?"

"Y-yeah…" May's dad was Norman? What a small world. Astra hoped May wouldn't protest her stomping his face into the dirt; with the way she was talking she might even help!

"And?"

Astra crossed her arms, irritated. "He was a huge jerk that said I wasn't even worth his time and told me to leave!"

May nodded. "Yep, that's him. You know, he got here ages ahead of me or my Mom? Enough time to set up the Gym and even appear on tv. So he's out here for like a month, and when I finally show up here two days ago, what does he do? He sends me out on goddamn babysitting duty!"

"Babysitting duty…?" Astra asked. She had a vague feeling she knew where this was going.

"Yeah. Some asthmatic kid named Wally; short, green hair, couldn't walk for five minutes without coughing or choking on air. He wanted a pokemon and for some reason decided to bug Dad about it ten seconds after I walk inside. So he just decides to foist the kid off on me, tells me to go show him how to catch a pokemon. It's like-" May clutched at thin air in front of her, before gesticulating wildly, "What the fuck, right? I _just got here_ and you're telling me to leave? Why!?"

Brendan nodded, frowning. "That does seem pretty callous. What happened next?"

"So Dad tosses us a Zigzagoon and an empty pokeball and we head off to route 102. Kid immediately stumbles upon a pokemon I've never even heard of before."

Astra froze. This was…!

"Really? Brendan leaned in, eyes sparkling. "A brand new pokemon? What did it look like?"

"It was couple feet tall, white with these stubby arms and green hair. Big, red eyes too. Kinda looked human." May absently ate another tentacle. "I told your dad about it, but he didn't recognize it either."

Brendan tapped his finger. "...Hn. I know most of the species that live in Hoenn and that doesn't fit any of them. Did it vocalize at all?"

May snapped her fingers. "Ah, right! I forgot, it said… Ralts?"

Astra's face flushed. Right, she had been so surprised and then hurt she had talked _out loud_. How embarrassing. She resolved to pretend it never happened.

"Ralts?" Brendan stared at his plate, eyebrows furrowed. "It sounds… familiar, but I can't remember why."

May shrugged. "Anyway, so Wally manages to beat the… Ralts, I guess, up with the Zigzagoon, but completely fumbles throwing the ball and just flings it into the goddamn forest. The Ralts runs away and I've gotta give him one of my balls so his hopes and dreams don't get crushed by the world's worst aim. Sent another half hour out there chasing down a Poochyena, but we get back and he's all smiles with his new puppy."

It was interesting to hear about that event from the other perspective. For Astra, it had been thirty seconds of the worst terror she had ever experienced, but for May it had been a mere chore.

Her hand tightened around her chopstick. 'It, it, it.' she kept saying. She was not an it, she was a she! She was a person! But… she supposed they didn't think so. Not for her real self. That hadn't been 'Astra', just a regular Pokemon. That would change, she hoped. She would _make_ it change.

"Don't asthmatics have problems with dogs?" Brendan wondered.

"I dunno, I'm not a doctor. Wally didn't seem to care." May sighs. "Anyway, to sum up the next bit, We get back, Wally goes back home, and I try to talk to Dad but he blows me off like everyone else. 'Get four badges and then we'll talk,'" May mimes with one hand, accompanying it with an exaggerated voice, "'Go to Rustboro and fight Roxanne.' What the living hell. He can't take five fucking minutes off to just sit down and chat!? I got pissed and left. Rented a room at a hotel for a couple nights then bummed around the city until I ran into you guys."

"Your dad sucks." Brendan deadpanned. May let out a bark of laughter.

"I'd drink to that! Hey!" she said, gulping down some water. "Ah, too bad this is just water. Anyway, that's my life story. It kinda got away from me."

Astra nodded. "I don't mind; it seemed like you wanted to get some of that off your chest. Do you feel better?"

"Eh, I guess."

Brendan smiled at her. "That's good."

"What about you?" asked Astra. Brendan blinked.

"Me?"

"You're from Littleroot, right? What was that like?"

"Ah! Hm." Brendan muttered, thinking. "I'm not sure how to describe it, really…"

"I'll bet on 'as dull as watching grass grow'."

"No comments from the peanut gallery."

May stuck out her tongue. "Nyeh."

Brendan shook his head, exasperated. "It wasn't that boring. I usually spend most of my time helping out my dad around in his lab or in the field. He's a certified Pokemon professor, so he does a lot of research on wild pokemon behaviors and the ecosystem; he's even published a few books."

May poked him with a chopstick. "Okay, but what did _you_ do? You said fieldwork? Start with that."

Astra leaned in closer, listening intently. If people were snooping around in the woods she wanted to know.

"Ah, fieldwork is my dad's favorite part. I think he's jealous that I can do it so much easier that he can now." Brendan chuckled. "What I do is mostly observe wild pokemon going about their day and record what I see. It's not exactly glamorous but I think it's pretty fun. If I saw a rare or unique pokemon sometimes I'd catch it and bring it back to the lab."

"Mmm." May hummed. "You ever see anything super weird?"

Brendan thought for a moment. "Not really. I haven't been doing fieldwork for too long; a couple years at this point. The weirdest thing I've seen was a black and white striped zigzagoon. My dad, though, he's apparently seen some really amazing stuff. For instance, he told me that one time he was walking through the forest one night and discovered a giant Mightyena! The way he tells it, it was as big as a truck and then some; with teeth like daggers, bitch black coat and great, burning red eyes. The spooky part is that it just vanished into thin air a few weeks after he started tracking it."

"Oooh, so scary." May said dryly. "Still, that sounds pretty cool. Wouldn't mind having something like that on my team. I wonder where it went?"

A sudden snapping sound made Astra jump. She looked down and dimly realized she had broken her chopstick.

She didn't want to hear about this anymore.

"So!" Astra cut in, "Do you do anything that isn't helping at the lab?"

Brendan considered the question. "I suppose I read a bit. I've also been following a few shows on TV and play games with Max when I have the time."

"Who's Max?"

"Oh, he's my little brother."

"Eh?" May exclaimed. "You have a brother?"

"May, you were in my house." Brendan replied, confused. "How did you not see him?"

"Wh- I dunno; I wasn't looking." May defended, "I was distracted."

"Distracted. Right. I guess snooping through my room would count as that, wouldn't it?" Brendan asked with a wry smirk.

May's face turned an interesting shade of pink. "S-shut up!" she yelled. "Everyone said you were there and you weren't! What was I supposed to do?"

"Not go through my stuff? I mean, unless you find my clothes _that_ interesting- erk! Alright, alright! I'll stop!" Brendan raised his hands placatingly to ward off the murderous look on May's face. He coughed. "Er, back on topic… I guess I go biking on occasion. Now that I'm travelling I suspect I'll be doing that a lot more, which is nice."

"What's biking?"

Astra's two fellow trainers traded glances.

"You don't know what a bike is, Astra?" Brendan ventured.

"For real? I don't- how!?" May threw up her arms, exasperated. "This is ridiculous!"

Astra hung her head, a feeling of shame and embarrassment welling within her. She just didn't know these things; how was she supposed to guess what was common knowledge?

"Sorry." she mumbled.

"If you don't know, that's okay, Astra." Brendan said. "Most bikes aren't really suited for forest activity, so if you were as isolated as you said, I suppose there was never a reason for you to know about them."

"It's still weird." May muttered. "Anyway, bikes are these two wheeled things that you travel around on by pushing on it's pedals. I'll show you one if I see it."

That sounded pretty cool. Was it easier than walking? She wondered if she could get one somehow. Absently, she went to grab another roll and was deeply disappointed to find she had emptied her plate already. Next to her, May yawned.

"Jeeze, what time is it… 8:30? Damn, it's pretty late. I think it's about time to wrap this up."

Astra and Brendan agreed. Brendan flagged down the restaurant staff and paid the bill, though he rebuffed Astra's attempt to pay her share.

"You've only just started training, right? I have a large savings, and I did lose to both of you. I'd feel bad if you spent all your money on this one dinner, so I'll cover you. Okay?"

Astra's give him a brilliant smile. "Thank you!"

"How chivalrous." May snarked. "Well, let's get going."

The three of them exited the restaurant in high spirits. Astra let out a sigh of relief as the loud noise faded into the more manageable background hum of the city. May pointed out a bicycle almost immediately; it was chained up to a post in front of a store.

Astra observed the contraption suspiciously. "How are you supposed to stay on that?"

"It takes a bit of practice, but once you get it down there's no better way of moving yourself around!"

"Driving, sailing, flying," May said, counting off her fingers, "Actual, literal teleportation-"

"Healthiest." Brendan amended.

"Debatable."

They walked a block in comfortable silence before Brendan spoke up again. "So, what are your plans for tomorrow? Moving on to Rustboro?"

"That's the idea." May confirmed. "Astra?"

"I was going to do that as well. I want to challenge all the gyms as fast as I can! How about you, Brendan?"

"I'm actually going to stick in this area for a little longer." he admitted. "Dad wants me to make a report on all the places I visit, and I also wanted to check out route 102 for that rare pokemon you saw."

Astra's grin grew strained. She couldn't have him look too closely. "Not for too long, right? We wouldn't want you to fall behind." she added when Brendan raised an eyebrow.

He shook his head. "I'll just take a casual look; nothing to worry about. You two are walking, right? You'll have to go through the forest, and I think that'll delay you for a day or two. I can catch up with my bike easily enough."

Out of the corner of her eye, Astra thought she could see May's expression fall for a moment, only to be replaced in an instant with her usual confident smirk. "Well, you better practice your ass off. I expect a real challenge the next time we meet you hear me?"

Astra nodded in agreement. "I'll be looking forward to a rematch too!"

Brendan laughed. "Well, how could I say no? I'll do my best!" He looked at a nearby signpost. "Well, this is where we part ways, I think. I'll see you in Rustboro, and we'll have that battle!"

"I'm counting on it!" said Astra.

May held out a fist. "Better make it a good one!"

Brendan hit her fist with her own with a determined grin. He turned down the street and soon enough May and Astra were travelling the streets alone.

"So," she asked. "Where are you staying? I'm at the Green Valley."

Astra stared at her blankly. "What?"

May came to a dead stop, a familiar incredulousness spreading across her face.

Voice tinged with trepidation May asked, "Astra, where are you sleeping tonight?"

Oh. Astra glanced around at the big city. Then the stars. Then May again.

"The forest?" She tried.

Judging by how hard May's palm impacted her face, that was the wrong answer.

[hr][/hr]

The lobby of the Green Valley hotel was a very nice looking place. The hellish deathtrap called an elevator that followed, not so much. Astra stepped out of the vibrating monstrosity both amazed at how the door suddenly opened to a different exit and also trying not to vomit. If the world would stop spinning that would also be nice.

"Oh come on, it can't be that bad!" May argued.

Astra, swallowing a hefty chunk of bile, was inclined to disagree.

Eventually she managed to start walking, and Astra waited anxiously as May fiddled with a key. Throwing open the door, she proclaimed, "Home sweet temporary home!"

The room was white, and full of strange things. A large square piece of furniture took up most of the room, covered in fabrics and a few pillows. Was this a human bed? It looked amazing. A couple poles with odd coverings on top stood in the corners, and as Astra watched May flicked a switch on the wall and it suddenly began to produce light, illuminating the room fully.

On the wall across the bed was a large shiny black device. The other walls had images of flowers encased within glass hung up, and one wall was actually a giant window. There was also a chair and table in one corner, upon which was a giant bag Astra could only assume was full of May's supplies.

"Thanks for letting me stay with you." Astra said, dropping her own bag and the violin case next to the table.

May shrugged. "We're going to be travelling together anyway, and I wasn't about to let you sleep in the woods when I had this all set up already." May pointed jerked her thumb at a door Astra hadn't noticed. "Bathrooms over there if you need it."

Bathroom? She opened the door curiously, but the room was pitch black. Was there a switch here too? Brushing her hand against the wall, she felt the tiny lever and flipped it, turning the lights on.

As with the main room, the bathroom was entirely white, but somehow even more so. There were two basins in the room, one elevated and one very large one resting on the floor behind a curtain, alongside a… chair? A small pile of thick fabrics were folded neatly next to the large basin.

The elevated basin had a giant mirror on the wall behind it, and the basin itself had two x shaped knobs on either side of a metal rod. There also appeared to be a semi-covered hole in the bottom. Astra fiddled with the knob experimentally and blinked when water started rushing out of the metal rod and draining into the hole.

… But why?

Well, this was called the bathroom, she reasoned. Bath room. You took a bath to clean, so this was used for cleaning, she supposed. Cleaning… hands? That kinda made sense. Pulling back her sleeve, she felt the water- _HOT!_ Jerking back, she rubbed her lightly scalded hand and glared at the faucet. Why in the world did they have a _boiling water dispenser_!? Turning the knob back to where it was, she moved on.

What was with this weird chair? Astra pondered it's existence; the back was extremely thick and out of proportion, the base appeared to be welded to the floor, there was some sort of lever on the back, and the seat had a hinge for some reason. It could open? Astra lifted the first layer of the weird chair and stared inside for a long time.

"May," she called, "why is there a chair full of water in here?"

A beat.

"Astra, what the _living hell._ "

She heard heavy footfalls and then May poked her head in, having at some point lost both her shirt and faith in humanity.

"Are you seriously fucking telling me you don't know what a toilet is."

Astra dropped the toilet lid like it burned. "THIS is a toilet!?" she shrieked. "Wait, you do that _INSIDE_!? That's disgusting!"

"Well how the hell else are you- oh sweet fuck you've never had plumbing." May's expression ran a gauntlet through incredulity and anger before making a hard stop at horror and pity.

Astra inched away from the toilet uncomfortably. May noted the lack of a denial and pinched the space between her eyes.

"Right this is- this is stupid. Hokay," she exhaled, clapping her hands. "May's supreme guide to basic bathroom amenities, from the top. That's the sink, wash your hands and face there-" she said, pointing at the elevated basin.

"What?" Astra exclaimed, "I'll get burns if I try to do that!"

May gazed sightlessly into the distance for a moment. "There's a tap for cold water."

Astra felt her face go red. "Oh."

"That is the toilet. You do your business then hit the flush, it goes away." May continued, her face carefully neutral. "Please tell me you already know what toilet paper is?"

Astra nodded sullenly. She could hazard a guess.

"Small goddamn mercies. Bathtub and shower." she indicated the giant basin in the corner. "Use it to clean your whole body. Towels are over there. That's pretty much everything."

They both stood there awkwardly for a moment before May coughed. "So… did you use a water bucket to bathe, or…?"

"I swam in the river."

"Right, right." A thoughtful expression came across May's face as she spoke. "You should try out the shower then. I think you'll like it."

Astra blinked in confusion as May spun around and stepped out, shutting the door behind her. Use the shower? Well, that sounded interesting, but she couldn't take the cloak off while she was here. Or maybe she could? She would have to stop May from walking in first. Maybe she could block the door- or, she amended in light of the discovery, the door could have a built-in lock.

After a quick test found the door sufficiently impassable, she took one last survey of the bathroom for inexplicable openings before peeling off the sheet of black fabric. She sighed in relief as the robe hit the floor; it was quite freeing to be out of her clothes, though a little nerve wracking as well. Standing in front of the mirror, she looked at her own face, reflected with startling clarity. Gazing at her reflection, she turned her head this way and that and made a few silly expressions, laughing quietly to herself.

Turning away, she stepped into the shower and closed the curtain. Now, what was so great about this? Swimming was fun, but there wasn't any room to do anything like that here. There was a faucet down below, and a single knob above it. The plastic head above loomed ominously.

Twisting the knob didn't do anything but pulling certainly did; water was now pouring out of the faucet below. That probably wasn't right; maybe if she pulled the stick?

Astra shrieked when she was blasted in the face with a spray of freezing water from above, leaping just out of range of the showerheads effect. She shivered, drenched and cold. What was the point of this!? This was awful! Was she missing something again?

Upon closer examination, the know was marked quite heavily; it had a semicircle of two colors, red and blue. An arrow was firmly pointed inside the blue section; Astra twisted it so that it was leaning into red, and sighed as the water returned to room temperature. At least she could-

She could…

Oh.

 _Oh._

Ten minutes later, Astra noticed that there was a tiny bottle of shampoo hidden behind the curtain.

Paradise was real and it was full of steam.

* * *

Forty minutes later Astra stepped out of the bathroom, wrapped once again in her cloak but now with _impossibly soft hair_ and a giant dreamy grin.

"Hot water is amazing~"

"Mmhmm." said May, who was currently sprawled on the bed and fiddling with her pokedex. She raised an eyebrow at Astra's attire. "Are you going to sleep in that? Isn't it dirty?"

Astra nodded. May waited a moment to see if Astra would explain further, then let out an irritated huff when nothing happened.

"Why?"

Astra shrugged, smile fading. "I don't feel comfortable taking it off around others." Also it would expose her secret identity. Details! Who needs them? "I started wearing it in the first place because otherwise people would bother me because of what I look like." Among other things. "They said I had albinism."

May sat up with visible surprise. "You have albinism?" she asked, very obviously examining Astra anew. A second passed before she nodded. "Well, now that you say it it's kinda obvious. I don't think I've ever seen somebody with skin that pale."

Astra looked away. "I would appreciate it if you didn't make a big deal out of it."

`Hey, I'm not like that." May held up both of her hands with a reassuring grin. "Doesn't even matter. Actually I think it looks pretty cool!"

Astra blinked. "Really?"

"Yeah, especially your eyes! They're really intense, you know? Especially when you're all wrapped up in that cloak." Her smile dimmed. "I'm not going to- you don't have to wear that thing if you don't want to around me. I won't start being weird."

Astra shook her head. She _wanted_ to believe that; that May wouldn't make a big deal out of her being different, that she wouldn't have to lie. But she couldn't. Not until everything was already over.

May's face flashed through a mixture of disappointment and hurt before it settled on a vague amusement.

"It's alright." she said, getting up and patting Astra on the shoulder. "We've only known each other for a day; I wouldn't strip for someone I just met either. Eh? Eh?"

May's pout when the joke flew over Astra's head made the psychic giggle.

"Still," she said, grimacing, "could you maybe... change into a bathrobe or something instead?"

Astra blinked. "What? Why?"

"Wh-" May's face scrunched up again. "Seriosuly? That cloak has got to be caked in dirt by now, and you are _not_ sleeping next to me like that."

Astra didn't really see any problem with it. It was just some sweat and dust, right? There wasn't even any mud or droppings. However, the look on May's face told her that arguing this would pobably be a lost cause. "Alright," Astra sighed. "I'll see what I can do."

It took almost every towel in the bathroom and some creative folding, but Astra found a way to effectively cover herself before she stepped back out.

May blinked as Astra came into view. "Huh. Didn't peg you for having long hair."

Astra, who had to pile about half a foot of towel on her head to hide her horn and no idea what May was talking about, just shrugged.

May nodded at the dirty robe Astra was carrying. "There's a clothes washing service for trainers in this hotel; I can throw your cloak in with my stuff, it should be done by morning."

Oh! That sounded nice. "Thank you!"

May frowned at the lump of cloth Astra handed over. Slowly, she grabbed one section of the fabric and let the rest go. The entire garment unfolded into it's original form: a single, rather long sheet of black cloth. She stared at Astra, silently demanding an explanation.

Uh. "It helps with the heat." she lied flagrantly. It was the best she could do; nobody knew how to alter cloth back home!

May's mouth opened, then closed. This repeated a several times, accompanied by several aborted guestures between her and the fabric. Finally her expression settled into sheer resigned exasperation and apathy as she yanked the door open.

"It is _way_ too late for this shit."

Astra winced as the door slammed. She could have handled that better.

May came back a few minutes later, recomposed and empty handed. "Right, that's all set up. I'll be taking my turn in the bathroom now."

"I think there's still a towel left." Astra offered, to which May rolled her eyes.

"Anyway," May continued, walking past Astra, "you can take the right side. If you hog the covers I _will_ toss you out of the bed, you hear me?"

Astra gasped in faux horror. "You wouldn't!"

"I can and I will!" May promised, closing the bathroom door behind her. Astra heard the shower turn on shortly afterwards.

Turning off the lights, Astra pushed aside the window curtains and gazed at the moon and what few stars could be seen above the cities skyline. The psychic had to admit that the man-made horizon had its own beauty; the lights and shapes of the buildings contrasted heavily with the moon and sky above.

She wondered what her grandpa would make of all this. If only the stars were visible as well; it would make a wonderful painting, she was sure.

Stepping back, she slipped under the covers of the bed and rested her head on the pillow. Ah, these cushions were incredibly soft, and these covers were so smooth and comfortable; she felt like she was sitting on a cloud~

Sinking deeply into the mattress, Astra's mind wandered, reflecting. She had failed to even try to get a badge, but a lot had happened over the course of her first day, hadn't it? She had a few fights, learned to play the violin, made three new friends, ate indescribably delicious food and discovered the joys of hot showers.

What wonders would tomorrow bring?

The sound of running water turned off, and eventually May slipped into the other half of the bed.

"Night, Astra."

"Goodnight, May."

She closed her eyes and fell asleep. Tomorrow was a brand new day.

* * *

(1) There is an image linked in my profile, as usual.

I have never eaten sushi in my life.

I believe this is the second biggest chapter so far. Huzzah!

Art credit is as usual to dexexe1234. Praise him!

Let me know what you think. Tomorrow, we hit the road!


	16. Outset

Morning came quickly. Astra sighed as the sun hit her face, blinking as the light slid across her eyes. Yawning, she sat up and stretched; blinking as a loose piece of towel fell on her face. She scowled, pushing it back into place. These things itched! She wanted her robes back; it wasn't as good as not wearing anything, but at least they didn't prickle!

Slipping out of the sheets, she scratched her sides and looked to the side. She frowned. May was still asleep? Getting out of bed, she walked around and crouched down.

"May, time to get up," she said, poking her companion on the head.

"Nnnn." May grumbled, snuggling deeper into the covers.

"May, It's time to get up! May. Maaaaaaay!"

"Uuuugh," she moaned, flipping over and shielding her eyes from the light with an arm. "What time is it?"

Astra glanced at a clock. "6:30."

"... Astra _why_."

"I've been sleeping in a bunch of towels all night, I don't know where the laundry is, and it's getting _really itchy_. Plus, we're setting out for Rustboro, right? I want to get started! I wonder what it's like..."

May groaned again. "Alright, alright. It should be illegal to get up this early, I swear."

One trip to the laundry room and other morning duties later, May and Astra left the hotel; bleary eyed and exuberant respectively.

"I don't get how anyone can have this much energy before nine," May yawned. "Is this another 'lived in a cave' thing?"

Astra shrugged. "I dunno, is being dead on your feet a city thing?"

"Nnng." May rubbed at her eyes, then peered around at the buildings surrounding them. "Is there a- there is! Wait here for a hot minute, I'll be right back."

What? Where was she going? Astra watched confusedly as May dashed into a nearby store. She emerged a while later holding a large steaming paper cup and a bag, looking much livelier.

"What's that?" Astra questioned as May jogged back.

"Coffee!" May proclaimed, taking a sip. "Nectar of the gods, waker of the dead. I'm assuming you've never heard of it?"

Astra mutely shook head.

"Thought as much. Want to try? It's hot, so don't burn yourself."

Taking the proffered cup, Astra took a whiff. It smelled very… earthy? Heeding May's advice, her first mouthful was very small, but the heat was still a small shock. Then the taste finally registered. Astra's eyes bulged, her whole body shivering at once as the _extreme bitterness_ assaulted her tongue. She swallowed with difficulty, the foul liquid leaving an awful aftertaste as it went. She handed the cup back to May with a grimace.

"Ugh, why do you drink that!? It was so bitter!"

"It can be like that the first few times." May agreed. "It really helps me wake up in the morning and when I pull all nighters."

"I'll take your word for it. Aah, I can still taste it…"

"You'd probably want more sugar or cream in yours." May paused to finagle with the plastic bag, and pulled out what vaguely looked like two absurdly thick brown mushrooms. "I got muffins too!"

Astra accepted one of the muffins warily. "It's not going to taste like the coffee, is it?"

"What? No, they're almond poppyseed." May said, biting into hers. She frowned at Astra when she still looked hesitant. "Oh,come on, it's not going to bite you. Just try it, sheesh!"

Might as well, Astra reasoned. Her eyes widened as she bit down, teeth gliding through the crust as through it wasn't there. It tasted sweet, but also slightly nutty; it almost dissolved on her tongue as well, the insides fluffy as a cloud. Yet again human food had exceeded all expectations.

"This is really good!" Astra grinned at May through a mouthful of muffin. "Thank you!"

May waved her off. "No big deal. It was two for one and we hadn't had breakfast yet anyway."

The two of them were approaching the outskirts now, the skyscrapers having been replaced by single stories a while back. This was where the city gave way to route 104, or so May said.

"It's supposed to be a pretty small route," she explained, finishing off her drink and tossing the cup in a trash can. "But it runs straight through the Petalburg Woods so it twists all over itself due to the cliffs. It shouldn't be a problem for us, though. That sort of place is all old news to you, eh?"

Astra hummed in agreement. "All of this is so strange to me," she indicated the city around them. "It will be nice to be somewhere familiar again, even if it's still a long way from home."

"I bet there's a lot of cool pokemon to capture too!" May added, "Do you have anything you're on the hunt for?"

Astra knew that she would have to acquire more pokemon, but aside from purchasing a pokeball at the Pokemart she hadn't given it much thought. "I'm not sure what to look for," she admitted. "Do you have any advice?"

"Hm. Well, I'm out to widen my type coverage personally. I've already got my Torchic and a Poochyena," May said, counting off on her fingers. "So I'm thinking of getting one or two water types, a grass, and maybe a flying type."

"You have a Poochyena?" Astra asked, surprised. Did she already have it during their battle?

"Yeah, I got her on the way to Petalburg." May confirmed. "She's a real goofball, and someday she'll be a giant fanged wrecking ball! I can't wait!"

"R-right…" she said, looking away. Astra had vaguely hoped she'd never have to see one of those dogs again. Like most people back home she was rather unnerved by Poochyena; they were completely immune to even the most powerful Kirlias psychic abilities and also had a tendency to hunt down villagers for food.

"I only have Treecko right now," she said, getting back on track. "What did you mean by type coverage?"

"You really came into this blind, didn't you?" May sighed. "Uh, Well, pokemon come in about… seventeen types? There's, fire, water, grass, flying, psychic-"

"Psychic?" Astra asked, taken aback. She was psychic; did that apply to her? Did she have a type? When did that happen!?

"Haven't heard of them?" May asked, amused. "Psychics are kinda weird. They move things around with their mind, teleport place to place, fire balls of energy and mess with their enemies heads."

Astra stared at May in betrayal. She wasn't _weird_! "What's so important about types anyway?" she asked with a trace of a huff.

May raised an eyebrow, but didn't comment. She tapped her chin. "It's kinda like rock paper scissors. You know, rock beats scissors, scissors beats paper, paper beats rock, yeah?"

Astra didn't know, in fact. How did paper beat rock? What was scissors? "Sure," she lied. "So it's like that?"

"Yeah, some pokemon just have an inborn advantage over other types. Like when we fought? Your Treecko is a grass type and my Torchic is a fire type, and grass is weak to fire. So when Torchic hit Treecko with an ember, boom!" May mimed an explosion with her hands, "Fight over. There's this whole chart that explains it but hell if I can remember all of it."

So everyone had a type, and every type was weak or strong against something. This was more complicated than Astra had thought. "So you want to have a lot of different types to cover every weakness?"

"That's the idea."

"Does everything have a type?" she asked.

May nodded. "Mhmm. Some even have two."

Did it work like that for humans as well? Astra gave May a considering look. "Do you have a type?"

May stared at Astra in wide eyed shock before her face scrunched up and she doubled over, bursting into laughter. "Astra oh my _god_."

Oh no, what did she do wrong this time!? It was just a simple question! "What? What'd I do?" she asked with alarm.

"You just- You don't know!" she gasped, still reeling. "You just spat out the cheesiest, most cornball pick up line in history like it was nothing. Oh, oh my sides. That couldn't have been more perfect if you tried!"

Astra blinked "Pickup line…?"

"Hah, you know! Some stupid one liner idiots say to try to flirt with girls." May's grin gained a gleeful edge. "Or maybe you already knew?"

Astra turned completely red as she realized what May was getting at. "I- That was- I was- No!" she burst out, flailing her arms wildly. "No, no! I wasn't! No!"

"Oh Astra," May gasped out, acting shocked. "I had no idea you felt that way!"

"May, no!"

"A heartfelt confession? I hadn't thought you so bold! How could I possibly decline?" May swooned.

"Aaaagh!" Astra cried out, burying her face in her hands. "I didn't mean that!"

"Pfft, yeah, I know." May chuckled one last time, patting Astra on the back. "I'm just messin' with you."

"You're impossible."

"You know you love me!" May said, eliciting a flat stare. "Hehe. Anyway, people don't have types; not like pokemon, at least. Wouldn't that be cool, though? I could be a flying type and soar up to the clouds, or be a psychic and teleport everywhere instead of walking!"

Astra felt a bit of pity at that. Every adult back in the village enjoyed teleporting to some extent; it made transporting water or wood easier, and you were never more than a quick flash from your favorite hangout spot. Not walking anywhere was completely ludicrous, though; even the best couldn't teleport that frequently.

"Teleporting sounds nice," she agreed. Even if May never got to experience it, Astra was very much looking forward to learning.

May hummed. After a moment, she reiterated an earlier question, "So, any idea what you're gonna capture now?"

"Well," Astra said, thinking aloud, "I'm still not sure. I don't know much about what's out there, so I suppose I'll just do what you're doing and work it out as I go."

"Winging it? Sweet, that's always a fun time." May grinned. "Hope it goes better than last time I tried it."

Astra glanced at her curiously. "What happened last time?"

"Threw a guy off a bridge."

"You- _what!?_ "

May whistled innocently, completely ignoring her baffled companion.

"May, what do you mean threw off a bridge? May? _May!_ "

* * *

An hour or so later found them walking in silence, May in good spirits and Astra fuming at May's stubborn refusal to elaborate. They had long ago left Petalburg itself behind; the winding trail of Route 104 stretched far ahead, bristling with possibilities.

"So," May sounded out, breaking the silence. "What exactly is in that case you have there?"

"The- oh!" Astra reached backwards, fetching her instrument. "It's a violin."

May looked at Astra, askance. "A violin? Didn't you say you lived in the woods? Where did you get a violin? _Why_ do you have a violin?"

"It was before I went to the gym," Astra explained, opening the case. The polished wood of the instrument gleamed in the sunlight. "I came across an elderly man named Trevor who was performing on the sidewalk. I listened to him play and he offered to teach me a little bit, and I was so quick at learning that he let me keep it."

"That… are you screwing with me?" May asked, completely confused. "Who just gives away a violin? And- wait, are you telling me you learned how to play in just one day?"

Astra frowned. "Do you think I'm lying?"

"It's- well, I don't know! I thought it took like, years to learn that sort of thing."

Lifting the violin out of its case, she stored the box back in her back and balanced it on her shoulder, bow in hand. "I can prove it, if you're so skeptical." she challenged.

"Oh, I gotta see this. Go ahead."

Tugging her mask into place, Astra tugged her sleeves back, layering the image of normal hands over her own. She paused, considering. What to play, what to play…

A series of chords began to sing through the air. Evoking adventure, a new day to see, a new road yet traveled; wonder and mystery as well! Of course, she didn't hit the strings quite right a few times and walking while playing was doing her no favors; still, even if it was simple, it mimicked what she heard in her mind well enough.

May looked suitably impressed. "Wow, way to prove me wrong," she remarked listening intently. "This is pretty good!"

"Oh, I absolutely agree!" said a voice. Both trainers blinked, the performance guttering out. In front of them stood a woman in a green sundress and a wide brimmed hat, carrying a small basket. She smiled at them, applauding softly. "I must say, you are a splendid player. Well done!"

"Uh. Thank you?" Astra said. Who was this?

"You are very welcome! Ah, but let me introduce myself," the woman said, giving a small bow, "My name is Cindy. I practice pokemon training in my spare time, and I am out today to give my dearest pet some exercise. It is a pleasure to make your acquaintance."

Ah, a fellow trainer like Rick. She knew where this was going. "I see. My name is Astra!"

"Name's May. You said you were looking to fight?" she asked, anticipation lacing her tone.

"Oh yes. But my word; two trainers at once? This must be fate! It is unfortunate, then, that I do not have enough pokemon for a double battle." Cindy hummed. "In that case, I think I can only fight one of you. Astra, was it? I would request that you face me."

She was challenging her? Well, Astra thought, she was more than happy to oblige. "You're on!"

May grumbled as she moved off to the side, disappointment evident on her face. "Kick her ass, Astra!"

Astra nodded as she and Cindy moved opposite one another. Holding bow and violin in one hand, she reached back with her free one to grab Treecko's pokeball. Cindy looked on with a glint in her eye, retrieving her own ball from the basket.

"Come on out, my darling!" she cried, tossing her ball into the air. A zigzagoon burst into existence, yipping happily and running around its owners legs.

Astra followed suit, Treecko materializing in a flash. "Let's go, Treecko!" Treecko crouched low, observing as his opponent settled into a low stance of its own.

"Oh my, What a cute creature!" Cindy exclaimed. "Ah, but it is no match for my darling. Use heatbutt!"

Astra felt a smile creep along her face as the battle truly began. Adrenalin pumping, she connected with Treecko. "Side step and tackle," Astra ordered, tapping her foot.

Treecko nimbly darted to the side at the last second as his opponent charged, Zigzagoon passing by so closely that he could feel the hairs. A moment later and Treecko impacted the zigzagoon with a mighty crash, knocking it to the ground. Zigzagoon thrashed wildly, forcing Treecko to back away as it recovered and growled at him.

And so the fight continued on. Astra's hands shook gently as she sent out orders and snatched strategy from thin air. This energy, this burning focus; Astra loved every minute. Split second decisions that could decide the course of a fight, the thrill when her small plans worked, the feeling of frustration when Zigzagoon got a hit in; there was nothing else like it. This feeling, this moment, she needed to… needed to...

Without thinking about it, she had returned the bow to her free hand and began to play. It started sharp, dozens of tiny notes flowing directly into a bombastic introduction, leading into a theme of conquest and battle! It sang freely, tales of victory and drama told equal in measure. Yes, it said, this is your moment; let your heart beat freely, for this is where your tale shall be told!

Treecko, seemingly bolstered by the melody, dodged yet another wild charge from the Zigzagoon, raking a glowing green palm across his opponents side. The zigzagoon howled as its energy was drained.

Astra's opponent grimaced; the battle wasn't going well for her. "Sand attack!" she commanded.

Her Zigzagoon spun madly, clawing up a great deal of dirt and sand, hurling it as a huge cloud towards Treecko. Treecko braced himself, covering his eyes with his arms, but couldn't completely block it. He cried out as the debris snuck under his eyelids, blinding him.

"Now headbutt once more, while he cannot see!"

Astra grinned, and sent Treecko her own vision of the battlefield. _"Absorb."_ she ordered, raising the tempo of her song to a fever pitch.

No longer sightless, Treecko jumped backwards into the air, the Zigzagoon missing him completely. Treecko flipped through the air and landed upon his foe's back, digging his glowing fingers into the Zigzagoons side. The Zigzagoon screeched as it felt the last of its energy being drained away, then fell limp.

May applauded from the sidelines. "Hell yeah!" she said, walking over and clapping Astra on the back. "That's how you do it!"

Astra rubbed the back of her head, grinning. "Thanks!" Treecko ran up to her and she rubbed the top of his head. "Good work!"

Cindy sighed in disappointment as she recalled her zigzagoon. "Well done. I must say, you are quite a unique trainer. That musical accompaniment was extraordinary; if only all of my battles could be that dramatic. Tell me," she continued, "Were you perhaps directing your pokemon through that music? I could not hear you issue any commands at all."

"Ah…"

Seeing Astra freeze up, Cindy smiled. "Oh? Perhaps that is your secret technique? That is okay, you do not need to share it with me. I am merely a passing acquaintance, after all."

"Are we done here?" May asked, tapping her foot. "I'd like to at least get to the woods today."

"Yes, of course." Cindy held out her pokedex and transferred Astra's winnings over. "Do you plan to take up the violin professionally? I would love attend a performance. I believe there is a musical contest in Slateport in a couple weeks, wIll you be there?"

Astra looked at May. She shrugged, irritated. "I just got here like, not even a week ago. Don't ask me."

She turned back to Cindy. "It's the first I've heard about it. I'm not sure. If we ever go there I'll look into it, but I'm focused on becoming the champion right now."

"I understand. I hope you will consider it; I feel that you would do admirably." Cindy bowed once more and walked past them, heading towards Petalburg. "I wish both of you a good day. Farewell!"

"Goodbye!" Astra said, waving. May grunted by her side, already starting to move.

"Using music to command your pokemon, eh?" she asked as they began to move along the trail again. "It was good but you just got that thing yesterday, right? There's no way you trained your Treecko to do that sort of thing that fast. Plus, you didn't even have it out when you were fighting me and Brendan, and both here and there I never heard you tell your pokemon what to do. So, what gives?" May asked, frowning.

It was a tricky question. How does one command pokemon without saying anything? The real answer was, of course, telepathy. But revealing that would be a horrible decision, so she had to come up with a convincing lie. Luckily, having been asked this a few times, she had come up with a good answer.

"I can throw my voice."

"You can… throw your voice?" May repeated, skeptically. "What, like a- like one of those guys with the puppets?"

"A… what? No. Or, um. Maybe?" Astra shook her head. "I actually do tell my pokemon what to do, but I can make it so that only they can hear it." she explained. "It's really hard, but it lets me not worry about my opponent planning around my commands until it's too late."

"Oh." May blinked. "That- that's pretty cool, actually. How does it work?"

Telepathy wasn't true speech, of course; sound did not travel over the air when she talked, but if she made a slight adjustment...

"It's a secret~!" she said, making her 'voice' come from the opposite side of May in a quiet whisper.

May yelped, swinging her fist through the empty air behind her. She gaped at nothing as Astra giggled. "Oh fuck you!" she glared at Astra, giving her a light shove. "That was creepy as shit!"

"The look on your face! Hehehe!" May shook her head as Astra continued to laugh.

"God damn." she grumbled for a moment, but her face brightened up quickly. "I bet you could just make people freak the hell out whenever you wanted, huh?" May poked Astra, grinning. "Imagine you see some guy sitting at a table; you could just whisper some ominous bull at him like, 'The Dark Hour cometh!' and watch him panic."

"Aah, that seems mean. But yes, I could!"

"Hah! We gotta try it on Brendan next time we see him."

Astra tilted her head. "You really like messing with him, don't you?"

"Eh?" May coughed, and looked away. "He just makes it so easy, is all." She said, waving Astra off. "Don't get any weird ideas."

"Oh? What weird ideas am I not supposed to be having, eh~?"

May glared at her. "Fuck off."

Astra just laughed.

* * *

They came across two more trainers in the next couple hours, both of whom May fought. Astra stood off to the side and performed on her violin, but the pieces were often cut short; May wasn't taking any prisoners today. Both her Torchic and Poochyena made short work of any challengers.

It was also the first time she had seen the dog; It had circled around her, sniffing for a few moments before growling at her. Astra backed away from it, and then May had whapped it on the head, scolding the Poochyena harshly. After that, it mostly ignored her, instead focusing on chasing Treecko around in an animalistic version of tag.

Astra, for her part, took down the few wild pokemon that had jumped out of the bushes; most of which had been Zigzagoons and Wurmples.

"What makes them just attack people out of nowhere like that?" Astra asked once, Treecko resting on her shoulder after beating an aggressive Wurmple into the dust.

"Nngh, Brendan would probably know more about that kind of stuff than I do," May admitted. "I think they just want to get stronger? Or maybe it's a territory thing. Tch, I wish something cool pops up soon; I want a full roster, damn it!"

Eventually the trees surrounding the well traveled path became sparser and sparse, and before they knew it they emerged into an open field, a beach spreading across the horizon to their left. The ocean sparkled like a gemstone, the waves scattering sunlight across the air.

Astra stared at it in wonder. There had always been the ocean to the south of her home, but it was very far away, and consisted of a precarious cliffside that was too dangerous for non-Kirlia's. It was beautiful! Was that sand? She had never seen so much in one place before. There was also what appeared to be a large platform made of wood extending over the water at the far end. A… pier. It was called a pier. There was a large boat chained up to it.

"I wonder if I could catch anything good in the ocean," May mused from her side. "I think I see a couple trainers down there too! C'mon Astra, lets hit the beach!"

Astra nodded, grinning. She had never been to a beach before! They found a set of stairs nearby, which May descended at speed. She raced ahead, kicking up a small cloud as she dashed across the sand. "Hell yeah!" she cheered, spinning in a circle. "Feels just like Olivine! Come on," she looked toward Astra, who hadn't made it down yet.

Astra went to join her, took one step onto the beach and fell flat on her own face when her leg sank straight into the depths. She lifted herself off the sand, sputtering as it clung stubbornly to her cloak. In the distance, she could hear May laughing at her misfortune.

Scowling, she pushed herself up, but paused as her leg sunk into the sand yet again. She glanced at May, confused. Why…? Oh, she thought, staring at May's shoes. Astra didn't have any feet to speak of; the ends of her legs tapered down into a small nub that she walked on. So if the walked normally, her legs would just sink into the sand. Okay, she could deal with this, just had to hold the sand together… She stood up after a few false starts, then took off at a wobbly hobble across the sands, making the sand under her compress just enough to walk on.

May stood at the edge of the ocean, gazing across the water. "Have a nice fall?" she asked as Astra closed the distance.

"Fantastic." Astra replied, brushing stubborn grains out of her robe without much success. "Ugh, I'm going to have sand in my face forever."

"Sucks to be you." May teased, still scanning the sea. "Hm. I think I see movement out there. Well!" she said, dropping her pack and rooting around inside. "I said I needed a water pokemon, what better place to look than the ocean!" she said, pulling out a rather battered looking fishing rod.

"You're going fishing?" Astra asked, inspecting the rod as May practiced throwing it. She was more familiar with the 'jam a spear directly into the fish's soft, delicious flesh' method but that wasn't the most conducive for live catches, she supposed. "I guess I could do with a break. Don't you need bait for that?"

"Nah," May replied, casting the line deep into the ocean. The bobber wobbled on the surface, riding the small waves. "The ball on the hook works like bait. It came with the rod."

They watched the bobber bob. "Where did you get this thing?"

"Oh, someone abandoned it next to a river back on 103." May shrugged. "Dunno why, it still works okay."

Astra hummed, settling on the shore. Sitting back, she enjoyed the warmth of the sun radiating across her robes, resting her feet upon the sand. It was nice to sit back for a little while. May joined her after a few moments, nothing immediately biting at her hook. The wind blew softly, smelling of salt and brine. The sound of gentle waves was only interrupted by far off caws of wild Wingull.

She was just beginning to fall asleep when May's line went taut. "Hah, caught something!" she yelled, suddenly on her feet and dragging the old rod backwards. The line swung back and forth wildly out in the water, but May's persistence and strength were gradually forcing it towards land.

"Now, let's see what you're made of!" May shouted, yanking the pole back with an almighty pull. The water's surface broke open, a small blue shape shooting out of the ocean and landing on the shore. The creature's body was similar to a giant blue upside down egg, with something like a cape covering its back and sides. Three red orbs were imbedded within its head, two large ones taking up the left and right sides, with a smaller one between its eyes.

Said eyes were glaring at them angrily, its two tentacles raised up in defense. "Tenta tentacool!" it chittered.

"A Tentacool?" May's face fell. "I was hoping for something a bit more exciting than that."

Astra looked up from her pokedex, having scanned the creature when it appeared. Apparently the thing was poisonous. "Are you going to try again?"

Shaking her head, May grabbed a pokeball and tossed it out. "Nah, it's fine; I don't want to spend all day fishing. 'Sides, just because it's common doesn't mean it can't be awesome. Time to get a new party member! Go, Poochyena!"

May's Poochyena materialized in a flash, the dog instantly sighting its opponent. "Yena…" he growled, crouching low. The tentacool splashed the water with its tentacles, as if daring the dog to step forth.

"Alright Poochyena, Bite that sucker, full speed!"

Poochyena shot off, the water violently parting in his wake. The tentacool's eyes gleamed, its tentacles glowing a sickly purple. As the dog closed in, Tentacool lashed out, its tentacles striking the dog with painful, poisonous impacts.

Yet, Poochyena was undeterred. WIth a mighty bark, it leapt forward and clamped its jaws on the Tentacools head. The tentacool screamed, tendrils wrapping around the dog and _squeezing_. Poochyena whined, but its jaws held firm. The tentacools head bled fiercely, the water becoming stained a crimson hue.

"One more time, give it all you got!" May shouted. "Bite!"

Poochyena redoubled its efforts, and dug its teeth ever deeper into his opponents head. The tentacools screech intensified as the pain became too much, loosening its hold in shock. Utilizing its new freedom, Poochyena slipped out of the constricting hold and began to shake the Tentacool like a ragdoll.

"Right, Poochyena, let go!" May commanded, readying a pokeball. WIth a sharp jerk, Poochyena released its prey, and the tentacool went flying, impacting the water a small distance away with a wet plop. The tentacool shakily rose up, bleeding profusely and in great pain, but still it refused to back down. The fire in its eyes had yet to flicker, preparing itself to enter the fray yet again even as May's pokeball struck it dead center.

It dissolved into red light, the pokeball capturing the light with a click as it fell into the shallows. It shook once, twice, thrice… May grinned as a small chime sang through the air.

"Persistent little fucker, aren't you?" she said, picking up the now filled pokeball. She spinned it on her finger, smiling. "Welcome to the team, squidface."

"Congratulations!" said Astra. She looked at May as she started to fuss over Poochyena, a small frown crossing her face as she considered the scene. May already had two more pokemon than she did; she would have to find some more of her own if she wanted to keep up. A Zigzagoon or Wurmple didn't appeal to her in any capacity. As for a Poochyena, personal distaste aside she didn't even know if that was even _possible_ , seeing as they nullified all psychic activity. Which she used to communicate with.

She sighed, brushing the sand from her robes as she stood. Nothing for it but to keep her eyes peeled. Something would turn up eventually. "Hey May," she called out. "Do you wanna pick a fight with those trainers down the beach?"

May just grinned as she came back ashore, shaking excess water off her shoes. "Do you even need to ask?"

Astra shook her head, amused. The two of them continued down the beach, a fierce debate on who got to fight first filling the air.

* * *

A few hours and several thoroughly humiliated trainers later, the two friends had returned to the well worn trail, and now peered at the skyline as the sun hovered over the horizon.

"Gonna be dusk soon, we'll want to stop for the night." Astra commented.

May grunted, poking at her pokedex. "Why did they even make a map this shitty?" she groused, snapping it closed and tossing it into her pack. "I think the woods are just up ahead. Let's at least reach the entrance before we stop."

"Fine by me."

They walked in silence for a time; May gazing at the sky and Astra carefully searching her surroundings. Surely there must be an interesting pokemon hiding somewhere around here? She didn't want to end the day empty handed, but it seemed she would have to. A sudden onrush of densely packed trees and tall grasses appeared in the distance, the path forwards becoming increasingly more rough.

May brightened up at the sight. "There it is! We'll get closer to the boundary and set up camp offroad."

Astra nodded despondently. "Sounds good."

May turned to look at her, frowning. "You doing okay? Sounding kinda sad there."

She sighed. "I dunno. It's just, you've caught two more pokemon than me. I feel like I'm falling behind, you know? I've been looking all day, but I haven't seen anything interesting to catch either…"

"Ah, well, don't worry about it!" May squeezed Astra's shoulder, smiling. "There's probably a shitton of Pokemon in the forest. You'll be swarmed by options before you know it!"

"Mmm."

Something to the side caught Astra's eye. A few berry bushes stood to the side, its pink leaves gently ruffling in the breeze. Tiny, brightly colored red and yellow fruits hung from its branches. Leppa Berries!? These were very rare! Capable of curing psychic fatigue, they were in high demand and hard to get; or at least they were around her section of forest. Yet here they were, sitting in the open for anyone to snag.

"One minute, I want to grab a few of these."

"Leppa berries?" May asked, noticing the bushes. "Good idea. We'll be fighting our way through the forest all day tomorrow, our pokemon will need those to keep going."

Grabbing her knife, Astra cut a berry from its stem only for something to pop right out of the bush right after it. The both of them froze for a moment before the creature caught sight of the berry in Astra's hand and narrowed its eyes. It roared; rocketing out of the bush and knocking Astra aside, careening into the trail. It held its prize aloft in triumph. "Marill!"

Scrambling to her feet, Astra quickly brought Treecko's pokeball to bear, calling her companion to the field as she caught sight of her attacker. Its body was naught more than a great blue sphere with a white belly with two nubby legs and arms. It sported a wire-like jagged black tail, a large blue ball attached to the end of it, and atop its head were two giant round ears.

"You just got knocked on your ass by a Marill" Astra heard a snicker. "You were all like 'Wah!'"

"Shut up."

The Marill had finished its ill-gotten berry, now side-eyeing Treecko as it licked its hand. Astra considered the blue rodent in turn; could this be the opportunity she sought? Though she had not personally met one of their kind before, the adults had occasionally told tales of the creatures; their surprising strength and constitution at the forefront of discussion as they nursed dark bruises.

She grinned to herself. Time to make a new friend. "Alright Treecko; bring that berry thief down! Tackle!" Treecko lept forwards, closing the distance with rapid, hopping steps.

Marill hissed, tail twitching. "Maaaar-" it said, wrapping its tail around its round belly like a belt. "-rill!" it screamed, spinning rapidly; its jagged tail extending to full length as it unwound, the ball on the end hurtling through the air like a wrecking ball. Treecko's eyes widened at the sight, then comically bulging as it cannoned into his side at full force. Astra winced as Treecko went flying backwards, scraping across the rough dirt.

Treecko leapt out of the roll into a crouch, holding once side in pain; a few more of those and Treecko would be done for. "Are you okay?"

"Tree." It growled. _Determination._

"Heh. Right, time to get serious. _Close in!_ "

Treecko darted forth once more, eating ground rapidly. Marill swelled up in response, enlarging itself to an enormous size before leaning forward and unleashing a jet of water directly at Treecko. He was undaunted however; bracing himself, Treecko hit the torrent head on. Even slowed, he did not stop moving, advancing step by step as the attack scraped at his skin.

Inexorably, Marill's stamina ran out and the water gun dropped and the rotund pokemon was left wanting for air. Instead, all it received was a glimpse of Treecko an instant before his tail slammed it to the ground.

 _Drain!_

Spiky tendrils emerged from Treeckos hand at the command, and Marill screeched as thick streams of green energy were torn from its body. Thrashing wildly, Marill's tail swung like a demented flail. Treecko grunted as it crashed into his side again, sending him reeling backwards. Marill recovered swiftly, its tail smacking the ground rapidly.

"Marill MARILL!" it said, wrapping its tail around its body once more.

May hissed as Treecko shook off the impact. "Ooh, you pissed it off!"

Astra shook her head. "Almost got it, just a little more. Treecko, _rebound!_ "

Treecko's eyes lit up, and he readied himself, digging his feet into the earth and crouching low. Marill finished winding up and _spun_ , its improvised flail hurtling at Treecko with massive force.

Bracing himself, Treecko faced the oncoming sphere head on and seized the limb from out of the air even as it drive itself directly into his torso. The sheer force of the impact drove him back several feet yet he stood firm; a wheeze of pain the only indication that it had had an effect at all.

"Marill!?" The blue pokemon cried, wobbling erratically as its center of balance was upended. It tugged at its tail, but Treecko refused to let go. "Mar-marill!" Marill pulled at its tail ever more frantically, even as Treecko toop one step backwards, two steps, three-

"Now!"

Spinning in place, Treecko released the Marills ball and hammered it with his own tail just as the it tugged once more time. Marill had just enough time to look absolutely flabbergasted before its own tail impacted its face like a meteor.

It teetered for a moment, big blue ball stuck in its face, before it slowly fell backwards, dislodging the sphere with a comical pop. "M-ma...rill…"

A second orb struck its prone form and it dissolved into red light; the pokeball absorbing Marill and hitting the ground with a soft clink as it clamped shut. It wobbled; once, twice, thrice…

And with a sharp _click_ , it was over. Sighing in relief, Astra recalled her exhausted Treecko and retrieved her new Marill, smiling at the little pokeball it was contained within. "Welcome to the team."

"Holy shit," May said, applauding. "That was the best thing I've ever seen. Did you see its face when it got hit by its own tail? That was priceless!" she laughed, giving Astra a thumbs up. "Congrats on the Marill!"

"Thanks." Astra shrank the pokeball and tucked it into her pack. "Let's go find a good spot to set up. I'm getting hungry."

* * *

Fifteen minutes later, they both stood in a clearing. Astra had left to gather materials to make a shelter while May worked on starting a fire.

"Eh?" she had asked as Astra made to leave. "Do you need to do that? What about our bedrolls?"

"Our what?" she asked in return.

May facepalmed, ending the argument.

Astra gathered several long branches covered in leaves. Quickly fashioning temporary ropes from interwoven grasses, she located the biggest tree nearby and set up a tent, tightly fastening every branch to each other and covering the gaps with a thick layer of greenery, with soft grasses spread inside as bedding. She looked upon her work with a smile. Neither wind nor rain would knock this thing down! It was even big enough for two.

Wiping her brow, she turned back to the clearing whereupon instead of a crackling blaze she found May vigorously swearing at an excessively large stack of logs. She squinted in disbelief; she'd been working on the tent for half an hour now, there should already be water boiling!

Peering over her companions shoulder, her eyes boggled as she saw May cradling an exhausted Torchic. The logs looked rather scorched but not much else. "What are you doing?"

"I'm trying to get this fucking thing to light up, but it's. _Not. Working!_ " She punctuated her last words by punching the wood, then swore again, clutching at her hand.

Astra gaped at this. "You- no! You're supposed to- why are you trying to set fire to a log!?"

May scowled. "Fires are supposed to be made from logs; that's how they always look!"

"You don't know how to make a fire?"

"Well, I've never had to. Besides, I have Torchic, this should have been easy!" Torchic warbled sadly in her lap. May winced. "No, no it's not you, I'm sorry, it's the stupid wood."

"I'll say. You're supposed to start with twigs and grass, not… that." Astra eyed the wood pile. Half of them looked damp; even disregarding the inefficiency, no wonder it hadn't worked. She sighed. "I'll go grab some starter."

Ten minutes later, she gathered a pile of dry grass and wood shavings and snapped a stick in half. Carefully carving hole into one, she lined it with the finest shards of wood and inserted the other stick in the hole. "Now," she instructed May, who was watching, "Place the stick between your hands, push downward and turn it back and forth really fast."

"Right, right, I've seen this." she muttered, focusing on the two sticks. Slowly, but with increasing speed, the stick revolved inside the hole. Soon smoke began to form and May gasped. "It's working!"

"Keep going; don't let up or it won't last long enough. You've got this!"

When the ember was sufficiently hot, May took the burning stick and jammed in a small pile of kindling. Nothing happened at first, but then slowly smoke began to rise, and a bright glow began to snake throughout the shavings. Twigs were added, sticks, a branch-

"HEEEELL YEEEEAAAAH!" May shouted in triumph, the flames crackling merrily upon her logs. "Look at this shit! I made fire! It's amazing!" she cheered, punching the air. "I am a primal force of destruction! Fear me, for I am a blazing goddess!"

Astra quirked an eyebrow. "Let's not get too carried away."

May chucked and sat down, warming herself in the flickering light. Astra scooted closer as well. They both stared at the flames as a true night sky twinkled up above.

"Thanks," May said, "For, showing me how to do this. I've never really had the opportunity to try. Heh, is this what it's like for you? Out of your depth all the time?"

"Mmm, yes. I don't know a lot about city life. Bikes, sushi, elevators, the shower! All of it was so unfamiliar. It's a little scary," she admitted. "Being surrounded with things you don't know anything about and can't understand; but… it's exciting too, because it's new."

"Yeah, all this, what we did right here? That was fun! I've never really had an outdoorsy experience before. My mom was more into beauty salons and TV. I mean, she's nice and supportive and shit, but she didn't really know much about this type of thing." May sighed, poking at the fire. "I just wish that- that I- why didn't-" she struggled with her words for a moment before slumping. "I wish I could have done this sooner."

They sat in silence yet again, before she turned back to Astra. "Still, now that I'm out here, I'm glad I could do it with you."

They both smiled at each other, the warmth of the fire chasing away the dark.

A loud whine from their stomachs interrupted the moment. May shot Astra a sheepish look. "I don't suppose you know how to cook, too?"

Astra groaned, head falling into her hands. It was going to be a long night.

* * *

Woo! One last chapter just before I start my new job! The great hiatus has begun. (I am kidding.)

Anyway, After this chapter, I think I might need to go back and take a hard look at the first couple chatpers, 1-6 at least. I wrote those back in 2014 and I don't think I ever actually had them go through any beta process. I am actually afraid to look at them. :x

Thank you for reading my story.


	17. Spark

Chapters 1 and 2 have been re-written. Chapter 3 has been re-edited. Re-reading this should be less painful. Enjoy!

* * *

May glared into the water of the pond, frustration writ across her face.

"Okay, listen to me. I know you want to get stronger. _I_ want you to get stronger. You getting stronger helps me, it helps you, there's no downside." she said, pacing across the shore. She paused, turning to the water. "I can help you. It's my _job_. But in order to do that, I need to you _do what I say._ Are we clear?"

From the surface of the lake, May's Tentacool bubbled quietly. May stared him in the eye, nodding after a moment.

"Right then; one more time, from the top." She turned and pointed at a log she had set up earlier. "Hit that log with a water gun!"

A splash of pond-water impacted May's face and dribbled down her side, leaving a slightly scummy trail of dampened cloth. Tentacool lowered his tentacle in quiet glee as May's teeth grit together, eyes twitching. From the side, Astra burst out into laughter.

"Oh don't you start with this shit too!" she yelled, rounding on her companion. "It's bad enough that this prick won't listen to me!"

Astra stifled another giggle, kicking her legs idly from atop a stump. "It's just really funny seeing you get splashed in the face like that. Are you sure that's the best way to go about it, though?"

"Tch, what do you mean by that?" May asked, wringing out her shirt. "Ugh, I'm going to get algae stains."

"I dunno." she gazed around the clearing thoughtfully. They had entered the forest shortly after dawn and May had spotted it in the distance after half an hour, through a small break in the trees. It was, as May declared, 'A perfect place to train our new captures!' Astra had yet to let out Marill, wanting to examine how May trained her pokemon. So far it just seemed to result on frustration and wet clothes.

"Hm. Maybe try to ask Tentacool nicely?" she suggested, glancing at the floating creature. She didn't even have to use her empathy to tell he was stressed; the constant twitching and flexing of his tentacles were more than enough. "You are being a bit forceful; I don't think he likes it too much."

May squinted at Astra, shaking the last few droplets from her hair. "I'm not exactly going to have time to be _polite_ in the middle of a fight, Astra."

"Well yeah, but you're not _in_ a fight right now." she retorted. "Start off nice and, I dunno, he'll get used to being bossed around? Unless you're that big a fan of getting soaked, I mean."

"Tch, I'll soak you, see how you like it." May grumbled, a light scowl on her face. Sighing, she turned back to her Tentacool, crouching to his level.

"Hey," she started, shifting to a kneel. "look, I'm sorry for going all drill sergeant on you. What's say we try again, with less shouting?"

Tentacool observed May for a moment, before bobbing in the water. May grinned, standing up. "Alright. One more try, then. Can you please use water gun on that log over there?"

"Tenta." he said, diving down and swimming toward the log. Astra frowned at the sight; even after the agreement, the pokemon still looked… hesitant?

Tentacool surfaced at the edge of the lake closest to the wooden target and gazed at it; even with its mostly immobile face, it looked unsure. It paused for a moment, before raising a tentacle and slamming it down, spraying the log with a plume of water.

"Cool." he said to a confounded May.

Astra tilted her head. "Was that a water gun?" It didn't look all that useful.

"No that was just a splash." May shook her head, mouth set in a gim line. "What the hell? Why didn't he use water gun? Hey, Tentacool, what gives? Was that the best shot you had?"

Tentacool made an irritated clicking noise. "Tenta tenta!"

May slumped, groaning. "Great, I've got an aquatic pokemon that doesn't know even the most basic water move."

Astra eyed her fellow trainer warily. "What are you going to do now?" she asked. Old horror stories from back home often mentioned that trainers would 'discard' those who couldn't follow orders. She didn't think May would do something like that, but...

"Isn't it obvious?" she said, flipping a bang out of her eyes. "I just gotta teach him how to do one. It shouldn't be that hard." Glancing back at quietly relieved Astra, May raised an eyebrow. "Don't you have a new Marill to take care of, or are you just gonna stare at us all day?"

"I will, I will," she said, waving May off. "I just wanted to see how you did it; I'm not too sure how to start, myself."

May paused, before a grin crept across her face. "Oh _I_ see," she said in an ominously familiar tone, "You're trying to spy on my training, aren't you?"

What? That wasn't what she meant at all! "No, I was-"

"Trying to steal my secrets!?" May continued, stepping closer.

"Steal your- what?" Astra said, inching backwards.

"Thwarting my plans!?"

"Thwarting your plans?"

 _"Are you!?"_ she thundered, looming above her rival.

Astra shook her head wildly, scooting back again as she tried to ward off May's advance. "No, I don't even know what you're talking about!"

May grinned, taking a half-step back. "Good; because if you were, I'd have to get even."

A sudden sense of foreboding fell upon the clearing. Astra gulped. "Even how?"

"Oh, you're smart. I'm sure you can figure it out." May said, tapping Astra's hat. "You just gotta use your _head!_ " she shouted, driving her fingers into Astra's forehead.

Astra only had a moment to cry out in panic, the sky filling her vision as she toppled backwards. Sprawled on the ground, a small giggle was all she heard as she stared at the sun dappled leaves above. Scowling, she sat up and tugged her hat back into place, glaring at May.

"Hey, what was that for!?" she said, rubbing her back. There wasn't any pain, but the shock of it still had her on edge. "That hurt!"

"Pssh, you're fine." May said, rolling her eyes. "It was just a joke. You were all like, 'Wah!'" She made a comically surprised face, then laughed. "It was great."

"Well," Astra grumbled, brushing the dust off her robe, "I didn't find it very funny."

May just rolled her eyes. "Funny to me. Anyway, I wasn't totally messing with you. I want the lake to myself for a bit."

Astra frowned. "What? Why can't both of use use it? It's not exactly small."

May shrugged. "I want to help my Tentacool learn some new moves for our re-match, but having you sit around watching me makes all that effort useless. After all, what's the point of us going head to head if we already know each others techniques? I need to bring something new to the table, and if you want to keep up with me, you better do the same."

She smirked. "Or maybe you'd rather just admit defeat now and make it easy for me? Our last bout was _pretty_ one sided, if I recall."

That one stung a bit. The casual ease in which May had utterly destroyed her in their first match was a sore reminder of how little she had known, and how much farther she still had to go. Faced with a repeat performance, surrender was not an option; she could never pass up a chance to prove herself!

"As if!" she declared, a new fire in her eyes. "The only thing easy about it will be my victory!"

"Yeah?" May challenged, "We'll just see about that! I'll beat you so hard they'll have to write songs about it, _and then I'll make you do a cover!_ "

Electricity sparked in the air, the two rivals staring each other down. Soon, a reckoning would come, the victor uncertain. Astra's will resolved into the hardest of steel; there was no doubt that she would win.

The tension was dispersed by a voice from the side. "Tenta?" Tentacool said, staring at his master in confusion.

They both blinked, reverie broken. "Hey, yeah we'll start up again in a second," May shouted over her shoulder. "just do a couple laps around the lake for now."

Tentacool blinked once then dove below, vanishing with a splash. A small wave began circling around the shoreline soon after.

"Well," Astra said, drawing her friends attention, "You do have a point. But you can't be the only one to use the lake, I have a water pokemon too you know!"

May shrugged. "At least Marill's can walk; Tentacools are like a big floppy bag on dry land, and I don't know if the gym in Rustboro has a pool. Might need to catch something that can actually move around..." She mumbled to herself with a tap to the chin, then shrugged. "But yeah, that's fair; just come back when you want a go, we can trade off in a couple hours. They'll need to rest for a while afterwards, so I'm thinking we start heading to Rustboro around two and I can kick your ass before sundown."

Astra nodded; it was reasonable enough plan, and it would give her enough time to- wait a minute. "Hey!"

May snickered. "Got you~" she sing-songed with a grin, before schooling herself. "Alright, enough of that. We're burning daylight, and I've got some serious schooling to dish out!"

Astra shook her head, but nevertheless began making her way out of the clearing. "I'll be back for my turn. You'd better do your best!"

"As if I'd ever do any less!" May retorted, turning back to the lake.

Astra smiled despite herself as the sound of her friend ordering her Tentacool about faded into the distance. Thinking back to only a few days ago, she could never have anticipated having someone like May joining in on her journey, or anyone at all, really. Even if she was a bit rough around the edges, Astra was glad that she wasn't doing this alone.

Still, she groused, did she have to play so many painful pranks on people? What was so funny about someone falling off a log? Confusing people was where it was at, she thought; there was nothing like a well timed illusion or quip to inspire that look of dumbfounded realization. Too bad her psychic talents were unusable.

Or at least while anybody was around. Double checking that the area was vacant, Astra grinned and yanked several stones out of the forest floor. Crackling with pinkish purple aura, the psychic moved them through the air in myriad patterns and shapes, flourishing her arms in tune with their movements like a conductor's baton. Stars, triangles, cubes, interlaced circles and more; oh how she had missed this!

Gathering them all together again, they swirled around her hands like angry insects, and with one violent shove they shot forth like buckshot into a nearby tree. Shards of bark scattered in the air as the rocks sheared off chunks wood, leaving light scarring across the surface of the giant. Astra sighed in relief, dropping her arm to her side. Travelling with May was nice, but not being able to exert herself was more confining than she had expected.

With a thought, both of her pokeballs shot into the air, the crackling light resolving into her pokemon. Treecko stretched with cat-like grace, looking at his new surroundings curiously. Marill blinked confusedly before screeching and sending Treecko flying with a meaty thwack from her bulbous tail.

"MARILL!" she screeched, feet stomping the forest floor and tail swinging through the air erratically. Treecko- having picked himself out of a broken shrub- glared at his assaulter and dropped into a crouch, ready to spring forward at any moment.

Astra's eye twitched. With a wave of her hand a screen of purple light shimmered into existence between the two, diverting the quarrelling pokemons attention. "What do you think you're doing!?" she shouted, locking her eyes on Marill. "Stop attacking Treecko! Wait, _why_ are you attacking Treecko!?"

Marill glowered at Astra and Treecko in turn, tail twitching in agitation. "Marill-rill." she snarled, pointing at Treecko. "Rill!" With that proclamation, she turned up her nose at them both and faced away.

Astra shared a confused glance with Treecko. What was her deal? The beleaguered trainer sighed, focusing on what the blue pokemon could have meant by her little tirade. There was anger, of course- or, indignation? She was embarrassed about something, with a dash of wounded pride... It came to Astra like a bolt from the heavens, and she giggled at the obvious conclusion.

"Hey," she messaged Treecko, "I think she's mad that you made her slam her own tail into her face."

"Tree?" the pokemon said, blinking. He looked over at his sulking teammate for a moment before giving a trainer a shrug. 'What do you want _me_ to do?' he seemed to be asking.

She shook her head. "You gotta make her feel better, obviously! Here," she said, rifling through her pack, "I'll give you a hand. Give her a few of these."

Treecko squinted at the leppa berries in his hands, as if wondering how this would do any good. "Ko," he shot back at her with a huff.

"Yes, I know she just threw you into a bush," Astra smiled reassuringly, "and I'm not ignoring that, but I need her to cooperate with us. Please?"

Treecko nodded in resignation, already padding toward Marill. Tapping her on the shoulder, he unceremoniously thrust the fruit into Marill's scowling face. Marill stepped back in confusion and bewilderment, eyes darting between Treecko and the proffered fruit. The air turned tense; Marill alternately glaring at Treecko and eyeing the small red berry in his hand with twitching arms, before finally snatching the fruit from his hand and devouring them all in one messy bite. Astra snickered at the sight; not even Marill was immune to a good snack, it seemed.

Having finished the offering, Marill pointed at Treecko. "Marill Mar," she announced haughtily, the effect mostly ruined by the juice still smeared around her mouth. "Rill." Apology accepted. Having said her piece, she marched past him to stand in front of her new trainer. Treecko rolled his eyes and followed suit.

"Are we all good now?" Astra asked, receiving a nod and an affirmative chirp in reply. "Alright! So, today we're going to do some good old training! We have a new teammate who so _wonderfully_ volunteered to start us off, so I'd like to start by seeing what you can do, Marill."

Marill puffed up. "Marill!" She said cheerily, clearly looking forward to a chance to show off. Astra smirked, and Marill's smile faded once she saw the swirling mass accumulating around Astra. Treecko patted his teammate on the back and lept into a tree to enjoy the show.

"So," Astra smiled, a swarm of fist sized rocks circling through the air, "let's see how good you are at dodging, shall we?"

Marill whimpered.

* * *

Marill huffed and puffed, out of breath as the rocks continued to swirl around her. Taking a deep breath, the water pokemon swelled up once more and shot a burst of water at a speeding pebble. The jet missed the speeding target by a wide margin, uselessly splashing against a tree.

Marill growled, and glared at the offending piece of shale. "Marill!"

"You can do it, Marill!" Astra shouted from the side. "I believe in you!"

Marill sniffed and turned her nose up, but Astra still saw her smile when she hit the next one.

* * *

Both Treecko and Marill took tentative steps forward, eyes covered with blindfolds. Astra watched the scene intently, feeding the both of them her own field of view.

A rock hovered to Treeckos side and waggled enticingly. With a fierce cry, Treecko struck out with his tail, the impact sending a plume of dust and dirt into the sky. The rock, 90 degrees in the other direction, remained unaffected.

Marill laughed. Astra threw a rock at her.

She dodged into it.

* * *

Treecko darted across the forest floor in an unprecedented burst of speed, grass fluttering in his wake. In an instant he struck out, a clenched fist impacting Marill with great force.

Marill took the blow with a grunt, but her eyes sharpened with grim glee. With a flick of her tail, Marill dug her ball into the earth behind her. Launching off the ground like a springboard, Marill soared into the air, descending on her opponent with a triumphant cry.

Treecko had only a moment to step back in surprise before Marill's bulk flattened him to the ground, a small cloud of dust enveloping the area. Marill flew out of the cloud, her rebound sending her spinning out of control.

"Riiiiiiiii-!" she screamed, her rotund body continuing to accelerate down a nearby slope. Astra watched in astonishment as the blue pokemon impacted a tree, the force making a sizable crater into the trunk of the ancient wood.

"Riii…" she slurred, stars spinning above her head.

'Well,' she thought as she hurriedly rushed to check for injuries, 'That's interesting…'

* * *

Midday rolled around quickly, and Astra walked back to the lake in high spirits. Treecko and Marill were back in their pokeballs, both of them getting a well deserved break.

The lake came into view soon enough, and there she found May sitting at the edge of the water, staring into the distance contemplatively and idly kicking water about. Her Torchic was chirping wildly in the middle of the lake; Astra's eyes widened as he began to falter and sink, but Tentacool rose beneath the struggling chick, granting him a reprieve. After Torchic caught his breath, Tentacool sank again, leaving Torchic to his apparent swimming practice. Her Poochyena, meanwhile, was paddling in circles around the perimeter.

"Hey!" she called out, waving her arm. May jolted, a reflexive kick sending pond water showering across her face.

"Augh!" she sputtered, wiping at her face. She glowered at her friend, still dripping. " _Again!_ Damnit Astra!"

"Aw, did I frighten you?" Astra asked, failing to hold back a snicker. Revenge!

"Tch, I was just startled." She crossed her arms with a huff. "There's no way you could ever scare me."

"If you say so~" A certain incident yesterday begged to differ. By May's scowl, Astra bet she remembered that too.

"Whatever. Guys, time to go, out of the pond!" she called. Poochyena immediately hopped out of the pond, shaking water everywhere. Torchic merely chirped happily as he rode Tentacools head to the water's edge. Tentacool bobbed in the water as his passenger departed, a red beam of light recalling him to his pokeball.

"So, did you get Tentacool to use water gun?" Astra asked, stepping to the water's edge.

May just grinned, a mysterious twinkle in her eyes. "Wouldn't you like to know?" she said, patting her on the shoulder. "You'll find out soon enough."

"Hm. I guess I will." she said, eyes narrowing. That expression… something odd had happened. But what? Well, she had a few new tricks of her own; she looked forward to seeing which came out on top. "I'll be taking the lake now, good luck in the forest! You'll be needing it~"

"As if." May said, one hand brushing both a stray bang and Astra's comment away. Torchic and Poochyena following her as she advanced into the forest. "See ya in a couple hours!"

Astra waved her off, then wandered to the lakes edge. She sat down for a moment, letting her feet dangle into the oddly chilly shallows and basking in the warm sun. What to do, what to do…?

* * *

Marill bobbed atop the water, a sense of superiority almost tangibly wafting off her smug grin. Treecko, having waded out as far as he could while standing, glared at her.

"You can do it, Treecko, it's not that hard." Astra coaxed from the shore. "Look, Marill can help you if anything goes wrong. You'll be fine!"

"Tree?" Treecko said, staring at Marill and looking like he had bit into a lemon. Marill reared back dramatically, betrayal etched on her face. Treecko gate Astra a flat look, Marill chattering in offense behind him.

Astra threw a pebble at Marill. "Go on," she said, ignoring the yelp from the lake, "You've got this!"

Treecko flashed her a thumbs up and a single nod. Backing up, he too a running leap and dove into the water. A bit of flailing ensued, but Treecko managed to keep his head above water; soon enough his splashing settled into an awkward front stroke.

"You did it!" Astra cheered. Her excitement faded as Marill began moving toward her partner. Couldn't these two just get along for once?

Marill circled around Treecko, effortlessly keeping up with his movement. "Marill mar." she said, condensation dripping off every syllable.

Astra scowled at the display. Of course he was having trouble, it was his first time! "Marill, can you- eh?" She blinked as Treecko began to growl and pick up his pace, arms and legs straining to their limits. "Treecko? What are you-"

Treecko burst forward with a fierce cry, in mere moments lapping a stunned Marill twice before losing energy and coming to a stop. He floated on the water, his display leaving him breathless and panting. Shakily raising his head, he looked Marill in the eye and grinned victoriously.

Said grin abruptly vanished when he tilted and began to sink. "Tree-!" he yelped, before his head dipped under the water. Immediately the surface began to churn as Treecko flailed in panic.

"Treecko!" Astra screamed. Thrusting out a hand, she reached out and tried to lift him, straining her power to cover the distance. It only took an instant to know it wouldn't work; Treecko was too far away, too _alive_ ; she couldn't- she wasn't strong enough- he was going to _drown_ and she couldn't _do_ anything!

Wait, the pokeball! With shaking hands she hurriedly fumbled through her bag and it was only once it was in her hand that she realized that the splashing had stopped. She looked up with dread, only to see Treecko safely above water, clutching tightly to Marills back; the blue pokemon muttering to itself as she ferried Treecko to the shore.

"Oh," Astra breathed, panic subsiding. "Marill, you're a lifesaver! Bring him over here, quickly!" She rubbed her hands as they paddled to the shore, shaking off the pin and needle sensation; the surge of energy her panic brought had left as quickly as it arrived, leaving her drained and lethargic. When they came close enough Astra lifted her friend off Marill's back, Treecko letting out a loud squawk as she fussed over him. "Are you okay? You didn't swallow any water did you?"

"Tree!" Treecko fended off her prodding, waving her hands away. He wriggled out of her grip over her protests and dropped to the grass below, scuttling away when she made to pick him up again.

"Ugh, fine, fine," she grumbled. "I just wanted to make sure you weren't hurt." Drowning wasn't something to joke about! Still, on a second look Treecko didn't seem to be too bothered. She'd have to keep an eye on him in any case. "Are you sure you're okay?"

He flashed her a thumbs up, a reassuring smile on his face. Astra let out a sigh. "Well, I'm glad. But what was going through your head out there anyway?" she asked, crossing her arms. "You barely knew how to swim; I know Marill was egging you on but that was no reason to exhaust yourself in the middle of the lake!"

Treecko kicked the dirt at the reprimand, gaze downcast. "Treecko," he said, scratching at the side of his head. "Tree."

Astra glared at him for another moment before she sighed. "Just don't do it again. And you!" she said, spinning around and pointing at Marill, who was partly submerged in the lake.

She looked surprised. "Mar?"

"Yes, you! Stop antagonising Treecko; you two are supposed to work together, not- not whatever _that_ was!"

Marill sunk lower into the water with every word her trainer said, a few bubbles accompanying a muted sound of protest.

"Don't give me that! You did pull Treecko out of the water- and I appreciate that- but I am still not happy with you!" She huffed, giving both of them a stern frown. "Look, just- can you two _try_ to get along?"

Honestly, did May have to deal with this? Did her Poochyena try to eat Torchic or something? Would Brendan? Nobody ever told her that being a trainer would be like mediating between squabbling hatchlings.

Treecko and Marill glanced at each other for a long moment, a silent conversation passing in the blink of an eye. They nodded once and turned back to Astra.

"Tree." "Rill."

Astra let out a breath. "Good. I don't want to see anything escalate that far again. Now, let's get back to training!"

Treecko still had trouble swimming, his earlier speed a rarity born of frustration and overwork. However, Marill had taken to swimming next to him, occasionally belting off a remark or two. But even wrapped in distain or haughtiness Astra could still hear advice for what it was, and Treecko's ability started to improve faster than she had expected.

Maybe Treecko had impressed her with his earlier display? It couldn't have only been her lecture for such a change to happen so quickly. Hm. Well, whatever it was- even if it was still coated in barbs and thorns- she was glad that they could work together.

* * *

Astra hadn't managed to get much innovating done during her time at the lake; most of it was spent bringing Treecko up to par and practicing basic maneuvers. Treecko still wasn't at his best while in the water- and never would be, really- but Marill was absolutely in her element.

Her water gun was dangerous in the open air and it didn't lose any force when submerged either. Her tail-sphere was another factor- Astra had held it for a moment and nearly dropped it on her own foot. Apparently Marill could control how heavy it was; nothing else could explain how she could have such a weighty object on the end of her tail and swing it around with such casual ease.

"Or maybe I'm just not very strong," the psychic muttered to herself. Physical exertion wasn't precisely something she excelled in.

So all in all she was happy with the progress she had made so far. She had a better understanding of what each of her companions were capable of, a few new tricks up her sleeve, and if she had to fight in the middle of a lake or something she wouldn't be dead in the water.

They had just stopped for lunch when May came plodding out of the forest covered in soot and slightly smoking, Torchic and Poochyena following along and similarly charred. Astra choked on her fish as her friend plopped down next to her, staring across the lake with lidded eyes.

"Wh- May!?" Astra coughed, scrambling to her feet. "Are you okay!?"

"Yep." May said, voice flat and emotionless.

Astra sputtered, flat footed by her casual dismissal. What was with this tone? Was she trying to act like nothing was out of the ordinary? A quick glance at her pokemon revealed Torchic sitting on the ground, forlorn. Poochyena was nearby and seemed to be alternately glaring at the chick and looking at his master worryingly.

"Um." Astra tried. "Are you sure? I mean, you've covered in soot."

"Oh, really? I hadn't noticed." May drawled out, a spark of annoyance creeping into her otherwise dull tone.

Astra eyed her companion incredulously. A small flicker caught her attention, drawing her gaze to one of May's long bangs. A tiny dull red glow had appeared, and rapidly grew in intensity until-

She stared at the small flame that had emerged in her friends hair. "You're on fire."

Without blinking, May licked her thumb and pinched the ember out, a small hiss of steam the only evidence it had existed at all.

A moment of silence.

"So why were you-"

"Hey," May said, cutting her off with a glance. "If you ever think about using sand attack and a fire move at the same time?"

"Eh?"

"Don't."

* * *

One rinse in the lake, a change of clothes and a quick pilfering of Astra's dried Magikarp later-

"Hey!"

"I _exploded,_ let me have the fish!"

"You could at least _ask_ first!"

 _"EVERYTHING TASTES LIKE ASH."_

\- May seemed to regain her usual enthusiasm. Mostly by eating Astra's food. There was little else to do after that but recall their pokemon and set out once more.

This turned out to be harder than either of them thought.

"How did we _lose_ the trail!?" May snarled, kicking a small tree in frustration. A few leaves fluttered down, flitting into her hair and face. "It wasn't even more than a couple meters away!"

Astra frowned at the tiny map on her pokedex, ignoring her friends bout of expletives. They had been traveling back quite a while now, and their icon was still showing as being on the trail in the forest. Considering the trail was nowhere in sight, she was starting to despise whoever designed this garbage.

"I'm not sure." She admitted, snapping her pokedex shut. Just how long had they been searching, anyway? The sun had descended pretty far, and the occasional harassment by the wildlife wasn't helping matters. Were they in a thin section? Astra bit her lip. "We went into that clearing from the east, right?"

"Stupid, leafy bastard- What? No we came in from the west." May picked a bit of foliage out of her hair and frowned. "Didn't we?"

Astra looked at May in confusion. "I was sure it was the east."

"Wait, aren't we heading east right now?"

"! thought this was west!"

"Where the fuck _are_ we!?" May screamed, her frustration sending a distant group of birds scattering.

"Ow!" Astra rubbed at her ears, grimacing. "You don't have to yell, I'm right here."

"My entire problem is that we're right here!" May said with a huff. "Look, you grew up in a forest or whatever, right? Shouldn't you know the way out?"

Astra scowled, rounding on her companion. "Just because I lived outside doesn't mean I know every forest in the world! This place isn't like back home, I don't know where anything is!" Honestly, she was just as mad as she was, but she wasn't freaking out! They were only here because May went off sideways in the first place. "We only even left the trail because you wanted to train at that pond, why don't _you_ know the way out?"

May's eyes narrowed. "Don't you dare blame this shit on me," she said, words coming out in a low hiss. "I was following your lead this whole time! If anything, it's your fault!"

"My fault!? I only went this way because you were halfway out of the clearing!"

"That is complete shit and you know it!"

"It is not! You need to stop blaming me for your poor sense of direction; I could do better blindfolded!"

Bared teeth shone in the light as May cracked her knuckles. "Bold words coming from such a tiny runt!" A soft wind whistled through the trees, and with a flash of movement May snatched a pokeball, brandishing it with an almost frenzied fervor. "You wanna fuckin' go? Right here, right now?"

That familiar shock of energy had begun to spark in her veins, and Astra found her own pokeball already clutched tightly in her grip "Maybe I do," she challenged, staring into Mays eyes. "What are you gonna do about it?"

"I'm gonna _kick your goddamn ass_ , that's what!" May roared, rearing back. "Go, Pooch-!"

"Hello?" said a voice.

"-yenOH FUCK!" May lashed out, abruptly changing direction and launching the sphere to the side. In a gap between the trees, Astra could just make out the surprised expression of the newcomer as the pokeball rocketed toward their face-.

Only for the stranger's arm to flash up and catch it in the instant before impact. Both trainers stood there in surprise as he examined the pokeball.

"Well, it's not the warmest welcome I've ever gotten, I'll say that much." he commented, fixing May with an icy blue stare. His hair shared the same hue, and his clothing was a uniform shade of black, save for his jacket which sported jagged purple stripes. His face- pale, sharp, and handsome- smiled warmly. "Though far from the worst. Do you make a habit of throwing pokeballs at strangers? I'm afraid they don't work like that."

He tossed the ball back, and May caught it with a scowl. Both trainers shared a glance; the boiling agitation had evaporated slightly, but Astra couldn't help but shift in place, nerves still high strung and twitchy.

May must have felt the same, as her low growl proved. "No, I don't. Who the hell are you?"

The stranger seemed taken aback, eyes flickering between the two of them. Suddenly he chuckled. "Well. I suppose introductions are only fair. You may call me Steven. Steven Stone." He stepped forward, extending a hand in May's direction. "May I ask your names?"

May didn't take it. "Name's May. Now, what the hell is a guy in a fancy suit doing all the way out here? This ain't exactly an office building!" Stevens smile didn't leave his face during May's interrogation, but it did thin a bit.

Astra blinked at her friend's words, then scowled. "Hey!" she said, kicking her teammate's leg.

May yelped, then rounded on her short companion. "The hell did you kick me for!?"

"Don't be rude!" She scolded. "We just met! There's no reason to be mean to him! I'm sorry about that," she continued, turning back to Steven, "It's just-"

Astra paused. Steven's smile had vanished, his piercing gaze turning upon her in an instant. A sudden pressure fell on Astra without warning; an invisible presence descending upon her mind until the whole of the world had vanished behind Stevens eyes. Her throat ran dry and she swallowed, thoughts hazy and indistinct.

"Just… w-we've just been lost for a couple hours now..." she managed, feeling faint.

"Interesting…" He muttered, still looking at her. Prickles crawled up Astra's back. A second passed, the pressure increasing… before it vanished as soon as it had appeared, a smile re-appearing on Stevens face. Astra let out a breath she hadn't known she was holding. What was that!? It wasn't anything like psychic energy, but what else could it be? Who was this guy?

"Lost, you say?" he rubbed his chin, seemingly oblivious to her struggle. "Well, you will be happy to know that the trail is just a short jaunt that way." He pointed behind him. "Come on, it's not far."

May and Astra shared a glance before they followed after him. If May had any indication she had felt the same thing Astra had, she certainly wasn't bringing attention to it. Why had Steven focused on her? Could he tell there was something different? How?

She didn't know, but despite Steven's apparent friendliness she felt extremely uneasy.

They didn't have to walk far before the endless treeline broke into the wide dirt path they had abandoned that morning. Both trainers gawked at the endless stretch of beaten earth.

"It was right _here_!?" May grasped at the air, looking like she wanted to throttle something. "We were wandering around for _hours_ , how did we miss this!?"

"I'm not sure." Astra shrugged, just as confused. "You'd think we would have come across it at some point, considering how close we were."

A brief laugh drew their attention back to Steven. "You'd be surprised how easy it is to lose one's way, even in the most innocent places. Why, I recall one of my associates once spent a rather embarrassing length of time trying to escape a furniture store." He smiled fondly at the memory. "I believe he got confused by a peculiar arrangement of vases replicated throughout the floor."

"Right…" May drawled out, arms folded. "Any point to this _absolutely_ riveting story?"

"...No," he said, a faint crease appearing on his brow. "I just thought it an amusing anecdote."

"It wasn't."

Astra glanced between the two. May was already irritated and Steven's cheer seemed to be decreasing with every word she said. She still didn't know what exactly that pressure was, but making him mad probably wouldn't do anybody any good. It was time to intervene.

"Well," she said, "I thought it was funny."

Steven brightened, shooting her a grateful look. "Thank you…. I'm sorry, I don't appear to have caught your name?"

Suppressing a flinch, she returned a wavering smile. It was at times like this where she was thankful her face was mostly hidden. "Ah, right. My name is Astra. It's nice to meet you, Steven."

"Mm. Lovely to meet you as well Astra. I wish we had met in a more conventional manner but things are as they are, I suppose."

"It's fine! I mean, you did help us out, after all."

"Yes, which is why I am curious, really. Miss May," he turned to Astra's companion, who still looked like she had bit a lemon. "I must ask, have I done something to offend you? I'm not sure what I have done to warrant such… hostility."

May's glare, if anything. deepened. "What, did you not hear me earlier? What the hell is a fancy pants like you doing out here? This isn't exactly a city park, you know."

Steven coughed, but couldn't quite hide the bark of laughter under it, nor the amused glint in his eyes. "Well! No, it certainly isn't. I'm afraid my reasons are rather mundane; I was merely walking along before I heard shouting in the distance and decided to investigate."

Astra nudged May. "I think that was you. Loudmouth."

"I'm going to punch you." May ground out, a light dust of red covering her cheeks. "I am actually going to punch you. In the face." She looked at Steven, then huffed. "Tch, well. Thanks, I guess. I would have figured it out eventually!"

"I'm sure." he said, tone as dry as the summer air. "As to my presence here in general, I was heading south; I have business in Dewford and it was a nice day so I thought I would stretch my legs and take a quiet walk in the woods on my way there."

"I see. Well, thank you for coming when you did," Astra tried to put on a smile. She wasn't sure she succeeded. "I'm not sure how much longer we would have been stuck out there otherwise."

"Well it was no trouble really; I'm always happy to help people I meet on my way," he said. "I would recommend staying on the pathway until you are more experienced, however."

"I'll keep that in mind." Astra tugged on May's wrist, ineffectually attempting to drag her toward Rustboro. He had been helpful, but the faster she left this man and his piercing gaze behind the better. "Thanks again, but we should really get going- May!?" she yelped as May yanked her arm out of Astra's grip.

"No we're not done here. See I just thought of something." May said, a glint appearing in her eye. "Something _real_ interesting. 'Take a quiet walk my our way there'? Bullshit!" Her arm shot out, an accusing finger pointed directly at their well dressed savior. "People don't just take a stroll through these types of woods, and it's still days away from the nearest city. You were flying, weren't you?"

A prickle of dread rose inside Astra as she considered May's words. Consideration gave way to realization turned into fear. Oh. Oh no.

The smile vanished from Steven's face at her words. "So what if I did?" Steven replied, face and tone expressionless.

She was picking a fight, wasn't she?

"Well, that means that you flew here on something, doesn't it?" May grinned victoriously. "You're a pokemon trainer!"

The wind picked up for a moment, scattered leaves drifting through the air as Steven stared at May. "Hm." Steven sighed, closing his eyes and running a hand through his hair. "I had hoped to avoid this, but it seems inevitable now. Yes, I suppose you could call me a pokemon trainer." His eyes cracked open, a bite of irritation accompanying his lidded gaze. "I expect you want to challenge me, then?"

"You bet your ass I do." A pokeball found its way into her hand as she crouched low, prepared to throw it at a moments notice. "Well? Are you ready to throw down, fancy pants?"

Okay. This was… fine! Astra could work with this. If she just stayed out of the way, there wouldn't be any reason for Steven to do… whatever he had done again.

Steven hummed to himself. "Well, those are the rules, I suppose. But if I must, then I think I shall make things a bit more interesting." He smiled, though it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Would you care to make this a double battle?"

"Heh." A second pokeball made its way into May's awaiting palm. "Well if that's how you want to play it, sure; I'll just have to win twice as hard! Let's go- eh?" Steven held up a hand, halting May mid-throw.

"I apologize," he said, lowering his arm. "I haven't made myself clear. If we are to fight, I will battle the both of you at once." He nodded toward Astra, much to her dismay.

"Eh!?" It was a shame that she liked her hair so much, Astra thought distantly, because she really felt like tearing it out right now. "Wh- isn't that a little unfair?" she asked, glancing between Steven and May.

"What? Nah," May waved off Astra's concern. "People do double battles all the time!" Pausing a moment, she examined her friend, frowning. "Why are you so jittery? What, don't tell me you're getting cold feet; you were all fired up like, a minute ago!"

That was before Steven came and left her feeling like a bug! There was no way she wouldn't be nervous! But any words to that effect failed to manifest, leaving Astra bereft of words. How could she possibly explain that if May hadn't felt any of it?

"I- I just…"

A hand clapped on her shoulder rendered her silent. She blinked, looking up into May's face. "Yo," she started, "I dunno what's up with you all of a sudden, but you better snap out of it!" She snapped her fingers in time with her words, grinning madly. "C'mon, where's that enthusiasm? I know you're better than this, and so do you, so get pumped up! Now, are we gonna take this guy down or what?"

Astra stared at her friend, at her ever confident smile and eyes free of doubt, and she she couldn't help but think: what _was_ she doing? Even if Steven was mysterious, and that invasive force was scary… if May thought she could handle it, then who was she to disappoint? She couldn't back down this early into her adventure!

She took a deep breath, exhaling slowly. She met May's gaze with her own, determination burning brightly in her heart. "Alright," she said, "Let's show this guy what we can really do!"

"Now that's more like it!" May laughed, slapping Astra on the back and almost knocking her over. "Oh, shit, whoops. Man, you are _tiny_!"

"Oh?" Astra deadpanned, righting her hat. "I hadn't noticed."

Steven looked at the two impassively. "Are you two ready?" He asked.

"Yeah, let's do this!" May grinned, almost jumping in place.

Astra merely nodded, pulling out her violin in one swift motion.

Steven raised an eyebrow. "Is that so? If you are certain, then let us begin."

"Finally! Go, Torchic!" May tossed her pokeball, the fiery bird materializing with a loud chirp.

Astra did the same, a flash of light revealing her own companion. "Let's do our best, Treecko!" she called, taking up her bow and resting it on the violin strings.

Steven viewed his opposition with an air of eerie calm. "I see I was correct; you two _are_ very new, aren't you?"

"Eh?" May shared a look with Astra who was equally confused. She scowled at Steven. "We just started a few days ago. What's it to you?"

Steven replied by bringing out his own pokeball, idly tossing it in his hand. "Not many people show as much… bravado as you do unless they are beginners, or have let their ego consume them."

He stopped, closing his eyes for a moment. "I would hazard that you have not even lost a battle yet, have you? Very well then, I shall be your teacher for this lesson. And," he held up the lone sphere, eyes snapping open, his icy gaze holding nothing but certainty. "I shall only require one pokemon to impart it."

"Only one?" Astra asked, shocked. "But we have two; you'll be outnumbered!"

"Yeah, what are you trying to pull?" May accused.

"If I let something as trivial as numerical inferiority bother me, I would not be where I am today." Steven stated. "Now see the folly of your arrogance; come, Skarmory!"

He tossed his pokeball high into the air and the shining light screamed downward. The radiance faded, revealing a ball of what seemed to be red and white plates. Before they could react, it twitched, unfurled itself with a horrendous shriek of metal.

Dark, steely blue talons dug through the earth like clay as the plates swept outwards, revealing themselves as a multitude of bladed wings. Its ovoid white body uncurled and stretched toward the sky, thrice as tall as its opponents. A sharp, angular head emerged, a spike protruding from the center of its scalp and within, sickly yellow eyes snapped open and peered at the world in disdain, focusing on Treecko and Torchic in turn.

Astra stared at the towering metal bird. "May?"

To her side, she heard a gulp. "Yeah?"

"I hate you."

"That's fair."

"Skarmory," Steven said, "Advance."

The Skarmory opened its maw and _screamed_ , a shrieking, torturous cacophony of steel and rage blasting out across the forest, and then there was no more time for words.

It darted forward and Astra's bow screeched across the strings, her mental command echoing in time with May's voice directing Treecko and Torchic to _move_.

Skarmory was upon them both in a flash, wing blades scything out at both of its opponents. Treecko threw himself to the side, the tip of the steely feather barely nicking the top of his tail. Treecko tumbled into a crouch, grimacing but unharmed. His partner, however...

"Torchic!" May screamed. The small bird had been too slow, and gotten hit by the full brunt of Skarmory's assault, sending him flying into a twitching heap. "Torchic, get up!"

The tiny bird twitched, then scrabbled to his feet with a pained warble. A large gash crossed his torso, staining his orange feathers into much darker shade. "Damn it…" May muttered. "This guy…"

Steven had not issued any further commands to his Skarmory, the bird itself taking the time to observe its handiwork. Astra eyed it warily, shaking hands attempting to steady the song that had been cut short.

"I don't think Torchic can take another of those hits. Or dodge it," she murmured to May. "I think I can get Treecko to distract him, can you take advantage?"

May jerked in surprise, eyes flickering to meet Astra's own as she listened. As the message ended, May nodded incrementally, mouth drawn into a thin line. Right. The tone of her melody shifted a pitch deeper, the tempo increasing to match.

 _Let's go_.

Treecko darted forward, letting out a wild cry. Skarmory snapped to attention, gaze locking onto the smaller pokemon. As Treecko closed in, one spike tipped claw rose into the air, tips gleaming in the sunlight. Treecko put on a burst of speed as certain doom slammed down into the earth, slipping past the razor's edge in a plume of dust.

"Skar?" The bird peered at its claw, confused at the lack of prey. Treecko, still underneath his opponent, spotted something. He stood up and wound back his fist.

An enraged, metallic shriek echoed through the forest.

Skarmory whirled around, Treecko ducking and weaving through the flurry of razor sharp feathers that followed. Every ounce of speed and agility were put to the test, Treecko's limits straining against the righteous onslaught set forth by his opponent.

Skarmory pursued Treecko with a mindless fervor; relentless, unforgiving,-

"Torchic, _fireball!_ "

\- and completely blind to its surroundings. A gout of brilliant orange flame appeared from the sidelines, searing the air as it homed in. The bird squawked madly, claws gouging the earth as it tried in vain to halt its mad charge, one wing closing in to shield itself as the projectile hit dead on.

Skarmory exploded, a plume of fire and smoke enveloping the giant where it stood. Treecko skid to a stop near an exhausted Torchic, labored breath coming in spurts. The music slowed, Astra watching the smoke through two sets of eyes. Had they done it?

"Hah! How'd you like _that_ , you big metal bastard!" May shouted, fist clenched in celebration. "That'll teach you to- _oh shit._ "

In the smog, pale yellow eyes glinted. Razor wings unfurled once more and swept aside the smoke without care, sunlight gleaming off its unscratched body.

"N-no way…" Astra stepped back, spotting the faint black streak on the metallic birds wing. "He only got scorched!?"

"The hell?" May whispers, eyes wide. "That move blasted a crater in a tree! What is this thing!?"

Any response she could have made vanished with the sound of screeching metal. In an instant Skarmory shot forward, covering the distance in an iron blur.

"Treecko!"

"Torchic, no!"

Skarmory fell upon the exhausted pair in an instant, their trainers warning coming far too late. Steel claws wrapped around their forms in a vice grip and slammed them both into the ground, choked screams abruptly cut short.

 _Pain_

Astra winced as Treecko's pain radiated through the bond, grasping at her head with a faint hiss. This was bad, this was really, really bad. This thing was way too tough! But Treecko was still conscious, she could think of a new plan-

Skarmory raised one leg and Astra had only a moment to see Treecko shakily try to pull himself up before it thundered down once more. The feedback flared for one horrible moment, then vanished.

Skarmory stepped to the side and twin beams of red light cast out across the field, returning the injured to their homes. Astra stared at her pokeball in sorrow.

 _You did your best._ Her grip tightened until her hand turned numb. _I won't let him get away with this._

"Well then," Steven spoke up, breaking his long silence. "Was that all you had to show? Feel free to surrender, if you wish."

"Tch, I'm not giving up that easily!" May growled. "Poochyena, let's go!"

"I can't give up here," Astra straightened, new resolve flaring in her heart. "I know there's a way to win! Show him what we can do, Marill!"

"Marill mar!" the aquatic pokemon said, coming out in a flash. Her tail twitched through the air,

To her side, May's Poochyena barked in agreement.

"So I see." Steven closed his eyes with a sigh. "Let us continue this farce, then."

"Don't count us out yet!" Astra warned, her violin once again singing a song. _Marill, Impact!_

"The only thing that's a farce here is your face!" May shouted, pointing at her opponent. "Poochyena, take a bite out of this bird!"

Poochyena bolted across the path, Marill trailing in his wake. Steel wings sliced down as they approached, driving the hound away. Distracted by the dog, it failed to notice as Marill dashed in, tail wrapped around her body. With a twirl it sprang out, slamming into the joint of the bird's wing and knocking him aside.

"Skar!?" The bird reeled, off balance and furious. Seizing the opportunity, Poochyena lept, snarling maw clamping down on Skarmory's jugular. Astra heard a horrid scraping noise and Poochyena fell to the ground, thrashing and whining as blood trickled from his mouth. A few measly scratches were all that remained on his foe's neck.

"What!?" May said, eyes wide. "No! That wasn't- _get up!_ "

 _Water gun!_ Astra called out, urging Marill on. They couldn't lose him, not now!

Poochyena was still writhing on the ground when Skarmory's beak descended, bashing him against the ground. Twice more it crushed him, each resulting whine growing fainter and fainter before a torrent of water distracted it from its gruesome task. It shielded itself with its wing, glaring at Marill.

"Poochyena, get out of there!" May desperately called. Her dog didn't respond and laid in the dirt, unmoving. "Poochyena!"

Astra bit her tongue, cursing internally even as she directed Marill to dodge Skarmory's ire. Its wing still covered its face, shielding it from the sporadic barrage of water. That it was bothering to block at all mystified her considering how little it seemed to hurt, but any time bought was time she could still fight.

Next to her, she could _feel_ the utter fury building in May as she recalled her Poochyena. She risked a glance, only to see May's teeth gritting so hard that she could hear them creak, white knuckled hand squeezing the pokeball she thought it might break.

"Bastard…" she growled, swapping out to her last pokeball. "You'll pay for this!"

Wait, was she really going to bring out Tentacool on dry land? Had she gone mad with rage?

"You're bringing out him, here?" she asked, incredulously. She could barely keep Skarmory at bay with Marill, and Tentacool couldn't even _walk._ "What are you doing?"

"Just keep blasting that thing and lure it closer." Mays response was curt, and brooked no argument. Tentacool popped out, burbling unhappily as he fell to the ground with a wet sound. "Got it?"

"Nngh." Astra returned her focus to the field, directing Marill to retreat between blasts of water. Her violin thrummed wildly as Skarmory advanced, a makeshift elegy of desperation and hope pouring into the air. "I hope you know what you're doing."

"Of course I do!"

"Well, you better do it fast," she pressed as Marill dodged a wild swipe of Skarmory's claws and came to a stop next to Tentacool, her water gun blasting her opponent to little effect. "I can't hold it back forever!"

"Tch. You should feel lucky." May looked at Astra, and behind the anger she saw a mix of pride and disappointment in her eyes. "I was going to save this for our rematch, you know. But making this bastard pay will do just fine!"

"Let's see how you like this, you shiny prick!" May shouted, arm shooting forward with a flourish. "Tentacool, _Aurora Beam!_ "

Across the arena, Astra thought she saw a look of surprise flash across Stevens face, the only motion he had made since he had last spoke. But then she was far more distracted by May's pokemon.

"Tenta," the aquatic pokemon said as the red spheres on its head began to glow. The light dimmed, the rays of the sun seemingly sucked into the now brilliantly shining crimson orbs. Tentacool pulsed, and then from his eyes came a riotous flare of light, a rainbow of colors blasting across the dirt road. Skarmory let out a shriek as the luminous beam collided with its soaked wings, prismatic lights refracting through Marills water gun and washing the area in a dazzling array of hues.

"Woah…" Astra whispered, entranced by the sight. "What… what is this?"

"I was trying to get Tentacool to do a water gun earlier; turns out he makes a bitchin' lightshow instead." May said, almost criminally smug. "Doesn't just look pretty either; can't you see it?"

She looked, and then she saw. Across Skarmorys wings, the coat of water from Marills attack had frozen over, leaving them encased in a thin sheet of cracked ice. Astras eyes widened. "Ice? He's freezing over!" she gasped. "If we can encase him-"

"-then it's all over." May finished, grinning madly. "Keep firing, Tentacool! Aim for the feet!"

 _Soak him head to toe, Marill!_ Astra ordered, a rush of energy bolstering her melody. If they could just hold out a bit more, they could win!

Skarmory pushed onwards through the combined assault, shards of ice forming and falling from its body in waves. Water seeped between its wings and froze under Tentacool's chromatic assault, and soon the metal bird was struggling to hold it aloft under the weight. The dirt below took on a glossy sheen as the ice spread, claws skittering across the surface as they failed to find purchase. Unbalanced, it fell, shrieking all the way.

"That's it!" Astra cheered as the ice crept across their adversary. "We've got him pinned!"

A sigh drew their attention to Steven, who looked upon the scene with amusement.

"I will admit," he started, "you've shown some remarkable ingenuity for beginners. However, this is where your success ends."

"Hah," May barked out, "The hell are you talking about! If you haven't noticed, we're winning!" she gestured to Skarmory, laid low by Tentacools freezing chromatic beam.

"So I see." Steven closed his eyes, seemingly unconcerned with the display. "Have you realized I have not given a single command to Skarmory this entire fight?"

"I-" May started, then paused. She glanced at Astra with puzzled eyes.

Astra stared right back, equally confused. Now that she thought about it, she hadn't heard Steven give any orders after the start of the fight. May had grown used to her musical 'commands', but Steven didn't have that. What was going on?

Shaking her head, May glared at Steven once more. "What, you're not pulling some trick?"

Steven raised an eyebrow. "A trick?"

"Well, she has her goddamn violin, I dunno!" She retorted, waving at Astra. "I thought you were doing some bullshit too."

"Hm. Intriguing," he said, looking at Astra. A chill ran up her spine at his searching gaze, the feeling lingering even as he turned away. "But incorrect. I was not utilizing any trickery in this match. I was not doing anything at all." He smiled, though his eyes remained cold. "My Skarmory defeated your pokemon all on his own."

That got May to step back, eyes flickering between Steven and the seemingly helpless Skarmory. "The hell are you trying to say?" she demanded.

"Merely that your successes so far have hinged upon my inaction; an act I am discontinuing. The time for silent acquiescence is over." Steven lazily raised a hand, middle finger and thumb poised to snap, "Allow me to show you my favorite technique, as a gift for doing so well."

"I'm not letting you pull anything!" May roared, "Tentacool, fire that aurora beam as hard as you can!"

Astra didn't know what Steven would do next, but it couldn't be good. _Do your best, Marill!_ She urged.

Steven smirked, even amongst the renewed assault. Raising his hand high, he spoke.

"Skarmory," he snapped his fingers, the crack echoing through the forest. "Metal Wing."

The very wind seemed to pause in that moment, as if the world was holding its breath. In a flash, a sourceless light enveloped its prone form and Skarmory _roared_. Empowered steel feathers lashed out and an almighty _crack_ resounded as every piece of ice covering the bird shattered at once, flickering away as so much snow.

Skarmory twisted to its feet and lunged with a single beat of its wings, a kaleidoscopic halo of light following as water gun and aurora beam faltered in its wake. It crossed the distance in the blink of an eye, razor limbs striking both Marill and Tentacool at once.

"Ma-!" Marill started, then choked as all air was driven out by the impact. On Skarmories other side, Tentacool screamed incoherently.

Its foes caught on its wings, Skarmory halted and swept its wings forward, sending them tumbling to the dirt. Silence reigned as both water pokemon lay still; save for their broken, wheezing gasps.

Astra's violin hung uselessly from her hands, her song muted. Limply, she retrieved her pokeball and recalled Marill, Tentacool vanishing in the same instant. She sank to her knees and stared at her ball in disbelief. How… how had it turned bad so quickly? They were _winning._ It wasn't...

"I believe we are finished, then." Steven said, walking to his Skarmory and running his fingers down its neck. The bird closed its eyes and leaned into it, a low pitched trill echoing from deep within. "You two did exceptionally well, considering the circumstances."

"You…" May growled, an overwhelming spike of anger flaring in Astra's senses. She turned to see her friend shaking, a murderous glare directed at Steven. "You bastard! What the hell was that? We almost _had_ it, and you had to- to- nngh!"

"I had to what?" Steven snapped, turning from his pokemon. "I had to give an order to my pokemon like every other trainer in the world? That is the way of things, Miss May, or were you under the impression that every fight would be as easy as a roadside brawl with the wildlife?"

"Tch, if you didn't have that freaking bird..." May went to step forward, but a warning caw and a shifting of steel wings from Skarmory had her backing away instead, anger stymied by a flicker of fear.

"If I didn't have Skarmory," Steven said, the hints of disdain staining his voice, "I would still have the five other pokemon in my posession, all of whom are at his level of skill or higher. Are you going to bemoan their existence next? In case you have forgotten, you were the one who challenged me after a constant barrage of negativity, despite my efforts to avoid it. I am not at fault for your failure here, and you are not entitled to victory simply because you _demand_ it."

May seemed incensed at Stevens speech, looking to start up a tirade of her own when Astra stood back up and grabbed her arm, stopping her in her tracks. She didn't know why May was so angry, but she didn't like it. Even disregarding Steven's worrying presence, this rash of hatred was disturbing. She couldn't let this argument spiral any further out of control.

"May," she said, almost pleading, "we lost, fair and square; getting angry won't change it. Please don't lash out like this, you're better than that."

May stared at her for a moment, then tore her arm loose and whirled away, teeth grit. "Fine," she bit out. "Whatever. Let's just go."

"Thank you, Miss Astra." Steven called, having mounted Skarmory. The bird strode over to the two trainers. "I must apologize; I was getting somewhat heated myself, it was most unbecoming. It seems this is where we part, however. I am due in Dewford soon and I must make haste."

He nodded at the cloaked trainer. "Miss Astra, may we meet again under better circumstances. Your style of fighting is… most unusual; I would love to discuss it further. Perhaps with a performance, if you were so inclined?" He smiled at her, and Astra returned an uneasy grin in return.

"Maybe." she demurred. She could only hope said meeting would never come to pass.

He turned to May, and nodded at her as well. "Miss May, I hope you will learn from this encounter."

She scowled. "The fuck was I supposed to learn from _that_!?"

He stared at her, disappointed. "The entire time I have been here, you have been nothing but suspicious, rude, or demanding of me at every turn. If you had not been so, I would imagine this conflict would have ended very differently, or perhaps not arisen at all. Now both you and your friend's pokemon are all severely injured."

May gaped at Steven, sputtering. "But you're the one who brought her into this!"

"Sometimes, despite- or because of- our wishes, friends can get dragged into a conflict they had no desire to participate in." Steven replied, looking right through her. "Though I am not blameless, her pokemons' injuries are ultimately on your hands. All actions have consequences; you cannot simply do whatever you wish."

He whistled, and Skarmory flapped its wings, hovering off the ground.

"Farewell, and take care."

Without a pause, Skarmory shot into the sky and started southward, shrinking until it vanished amongst the clouds. The two trainers stood still for a moment, gazing after their mysterious foe.

"What a fucking sanctimonious ass." May muttered.

Astra glanced at her companion, still uneasy. "He… did have a bit of a point. You weren't very nice to him."

"Who gives a shit? It's not like we're actually going to see him again." May retorted, but there wasn't any heat behind it. She slumped, sighing. "Whatever; let's just get to Rustboro. I'm sick of this forest already."

Astra hummed in agreement. "Yeah. Let's just get going. I think we might have to set up camp early today…"

"Ah fuck, you're right." May groaned. "All my guys are useless right now. Ugh. I'll need a few potions for this. Did you need any?"

They walked onward, in search for a suitable campsite, but despite May's reassurance and her own hopes, Astra couldn't help but feel that this wasn't the last she had seen of Steven Stone.

* * *

AN: Sorry about the delay. Hopefully these _11k words make up for it how the_ _ **fuck**_ _did it get so inflated jesus hell._

Some of this better be halfway decent or I swear to god-

Next chapter title (probably): Ember.

A new comissioned image is linked in my profile.


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